King Kong might be viewed as a monster by some but he's really just a misunderstood overgrown ape. Some of his enemies include the famous Godzilla (or the Japanese version Godzirra), Oodako, and Gorosaurus. Not sure if Godzookie ever got around to avenging his uncle's untimely death in the Pacific ocean but I'm sure King Kong would've emerged victorious. I had no idea what to expect from this wod and approached it as judiciously as possible. I didn't start the timer because I wasn't going for time but do know from the video that it was about six minutes. I endeavored to rest only as much as needed to maintain high power output. My priorities were to avoid injury and therefore closely monitor muscular fatigue so as to maintain solid form on every rep. This priority took precedence over any sense of urgency. Additionally, I wanted to avoid missed reps. This is something that comes from experience and rarely happens once one achieves an intimate knowledge of their capabilities. Now that I know what this wod feels like I plan on doing it again for speed in a month or so. The programming is spot on as the d-lift takes an immense amount of focus. The muscle ups are done while still seeing stars. The squat cleans require a shift just as going from d-lifts to cleans always do. The most significant part of my experience was on the cleans as I learned how to whip my elbows under the bar like never before. I believe this was due to performing a slow d-lift prior to. I find difficulty in going from slow strength to fast power in the same wod. The elbows saved me. The hspu's were a perfect compliment to the other movements. Two large strength/power movements coupled with body weight exercises. I think this wod could be performed in sub three minutes. It might take some training and confidence but it is definitely possible. For any modifications the weight should be heavy enough to make you too apprehensive to move fast (at least until you know what it feels like). This is uncharted territory in an uncharted land and with a Magellan like appetite I plan on exploring more of this genre in the months to come. Fat king kong at five rounds might be a good training or prep wod.
I truly believe that I learned how to squat clean yesterday. The chaotic structure of this wod was enough so that it clicked in a way never before experienced. This testifies to the need for a continued endeavor of carefully programed chaotic wods that demand more diligence and respect the application of form.
3RFT: 405# Deadlift x 1 Muscle Ups x 2 250# Squat Clean x 3 HSPU x 4
turbo. 158bw. 8:50
In the waters far east of Sumatra exists a landmass, not recognized by any modern chart, rarely mentioned, and seldom seen. The geographical center marked by an ominous knoll, offering clear warning to those considering its shores as a safe haven. For deep within the sub-tropically climate, full of prehistoric hostilities, is the lair of a daunting and destructive creature, a foe of unparallel size and strength. Modern weapons of warfare hold no value. To dethrone the “King” requires a return to primal instinct, use of brute force, and unrelenting power of will.
Substantial time has passed since I’ve scaled a workout. With full disclosure in mind, I avoided this wod for that very reason. Everyone loves RX after his or her name. It’s strange how egotistical thinking will restrain progression and education. The prescribed deadlift (455#) is in the vicinity of my 1RM. Decision time. After a brief warm-up, I stuck at 405#. Hindsight what it is, probably too light. At the same time, having never squat cleaned 250# repetitively, there was further concern. Combination of two unknowns made selecting the appropriate weight more difficult. My final determination was to scale the deads to a challenging load and complete the remainder as prescribed. Each deadlift effort was smooth and technically sound. The body weight components of this program are for the “big boys”, those who move the massive barbell loads with relative ease. I breezed through the MUs and HSPUs. My pace on the cleans was deliberate, using adequate rest to ensure no missed attempts. I was surprised with my tolerance for the weight. Two-fifty is the new 225. I finished the workout with a sense of achievement. However, accomplishment should never equate to satisfaction. Before the end of time, Turbo J will sit victorious upon throne of the “King”.
My PR on deadlift was 315 and squat clean was 185. I thought my deadlift may had risen to 320-325 and was pretty sure my squat clean was more like 195 but hadn't tested either in 6 weeks or so. So, I thought I was in the right range relative to known 1rm's for scaling the wod. Attacked the muscle ups straight from the dead and managed the cleans as best as I knew how. HSPU wasn't difficult until round 3. No missed reps on anything.
Afterwords I had second thoughts about my chosel loads and decided to answer some questions. Since I was already warmed up and felt like things went pretty smooth at those weights I decided to see if my squat clean or dead lift max had gone up.
First came the squat clean. 195 went up like I thought it would and it felt like I caught it deep and was strong on the way up. Time for 205. This was a lot tougher and I almost lost balance in the hole. That may have had something to do with a feeling of things getting really dark. I thought I was going to black out but came out of it pretty quick. Considered 210 but wasn't committed and it went nowhere. Result: Up 20lbs on the squat clean max.
Then came the Deadlift. 325 wasn't too much trouble, +10. 335 wasn't too bad either but I thought my form may be failing, + 20 nonetheless. Trickle talked me into going for one more and so I loaded up 345. Pulled smooth from the ground, fought technical failure as best as I could, and stood up with 30lbs more than I ever had. Then, immediately after dropping the load, I experienced something that I never had while lifting. I got really dizzy, couldn't focus, and knew I was headed to the ground. After stumbling around for what can't have been more than a few seconds but felt like minutes, things cleared up and I sat down. It felt like being drunk and getting punched in the head at the same time. Kinda scary. Time to go home.
Overall I'm pretty happy with the day. HSPU and MU were no problem but I should have done the squat cleans at 190 or 195 and the dead at closer to 325 in order to be in the correct percentages. That being said, when I started the wod, the loads were heavy enough to make me "too apprehensive to move fast". At least from what I knew at that point. Fun stuff.
You have to realize that scaling is really just a crap shoot (Vegas theme). The first factor is the universal standard. For example, if the standard for a mile is 4 min then should you endeavor to achieve 4 min in your scaled down wod? For this wod you could certainly go ligher and achieve a much faster time but would it be the same? What if you go too heavy and it takes 40 minutes? Each would have benefits but the truth is that unless all things are the same, including confounding variables, they are two different wods. So what is the answer? In my opinion you should endeavor to do the real wod just like you did when doing most of the bench mark wods for the first time. New clients have two issues, learning the movements and acquiring the fitness to actually finish the wod. Then it becomes a race against time. For those of us who can do those wods as prescribed we are doing ourselves an injustice if we aren't migrating to the next level. This doesn't mean we have to suffer like a new client doing fran for the first time but we need to keep ourselves in check as both teachers and students. A good idea might be a series of pre king kong wods as established benchmarks. This would inspire a more systematic and quantifiable approach. For example, to run a 4 min mile you would have to run the RX pace for 400 before attempting 800 before attempting 1200 before attempting the mile. I've used this approach with other activities and thought it would be useful. Thoughts?
I agree, scaling is tricky and far from an exact science. In the past I have often felf like Tom Hanks' character in "Big" standing in line at the carnival for the big boy rides only to be told (realize at the last minute) that I don't have what it takes. The realization that I'm not "Big" enough in one aspect or the other takes precedence and I have generally kept myself in check.
With this wod I felt like the entry fee was efficency in the MU and HSPU. In other words I knew they wouldn't add any time to my result other than the few seconds required to complete them unbroken. So at that point I attempted to scale the cleans and dead to around Turbo's percentages and see how it went. Again, this should have gotten me in the door. Looking back I realize that this rationale was somewhat flawed. I should have had a more intimate knowledge of my limits within those two movements and scaled from there. My info was outdated and that in turn led to what I can only define as a failure. The wod wasn't done true to it's original intention and therefore my time is relatively meaningless. I did a different wod. Had I gone at 190# on the cleans and 330 on dead I think I would have scaled the "standard" to a point where it was a similar experience for me as it was for yourself and Turbo. That didn't happen.
On the other hand... The overall result was an increased level of knowledge and confidence in my capabilities and for that reason I would have to define the day as a success.
While I agree with your approch in training for any event or task by working up to it as your example of the 4min mile describes, I'm confused on how to apply the methodology with a wod like this. As I mentioned above, would your recommendation have been to find my limit on those lifts before doing this wod? or is there something else I could have done to do some other sort of "pre king kong" preparation. or, at the other end of the spectrum, do you believe there are certain wods that just shouldn't be scaled? go rx or find a majic ticket?
King Kong might be viewed as a monster by some but he's really just a misunderstood overgrown ape. Some of his enemies include the famous Godzilla (or the Japanese version Godzirra), Oodako, and Gorosaurus. Not sure if Godzookie ever got around to avenging his uncle's untimely death in the Pacific ocean but I'm sure King Kong would've emerged victorious.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea what to expect from this wod and approached it as judiciously as possible. I didn't start the timer because I wasn't going for time but do know from the video that it was about six minutes. I endeavored to rest only as much as needed to maintain high power output. My priorities were to avoid injury and therefore closely monitor muscular fatigue so as to maintain solid form on every rep. This priority took precedence over any sense of urgency. Additionally, I wanted to avoid missed reps. This is something that comes from experience and rarely happens once one achieves an intimate knowledge of their capabilities.
Now that I know what this wod feels like I plan on doing it again for speed in a month or so.
The programming is spot on as the d-lift takes an immense amount of focus. The muscle ups are done while still seeing stars. The squat cleans require a shift just as going from d-lifts to cleans always do. The most significant part of my experience was on the cleans as I learned how to whip my elbows under the bar like never before. I believe this was due to performing a slow d-lift prior to. I find difficulty in going from slow strength to fast power in the same wod. The elbows saved me. The hspu's were a perfect compliment to the other movements. Two large strength/power movements coupled with body weight exercises. I think this wod could be performed in sub three minutes. It might take some training and confidence but it is definitely possible. For any modifications the weight should be heavy enough to make you too apprehensive to move fast (at least until you know what it feels like). This is uncharted territory in an uncharted land and with a Magellan like appetite I plan on exploring more of this genre in the months to come. Fat king kong at five rounds might be a good training or prep wod.
Nice title and set up. Might have to mod and give it a shot after a little more recovery.
ReplyDeleteVery enticing...
I like it. I hope to be cool enough to do this scaled one day. I cant wait to see you do it for time. Crazy
ReplyDeleteI truly believe that I learned how to squat clean yesterday. The chaotic structure of this wod was enough so that it clicked in a way never before experienced. This testifies to the need for a continued endeavor of carefully programed chaotic wods that demand more diligence and respect the application of form.
ReplyDelete3RFT:
ReplyDelete405# Deadlift x 1
Muscle Ups x 2
250# Squat Clean x 3
HSPU x 4
turbo. 158bw. 8:50
In the waters far east of Sumatra exists a landmass, not recognized by any modern chart, rarely mentioned, and seldom seen. The geographical center marked by an ominous knoll, offering clear warning to those considering its shores as a safe haven. For deep within the sub-tropically climate, full of prehistoric hostilities, is the lair of a daunting and destructive creature, a foe of unparallel size and strength. Modern weapons of warfare hold no value. To dethrone the “King” requires a return to primal instinct, use of brute force, and unrelenting power of will.
Substantial time has passed since I’ve scaled a workout. With full disclosure in mind, I avoided this wod for that very reason. Everyone loves RX after his or her name. It’s strange how egotistical thinking will restrain progression and education. The prescribed deadlift (455#) is in the vicinity of my 1RM. Decision time. After a brief warm-up, I stuck at 405#. Hindsight what it is, probably too light. At the same time, having never squat cleaned 250# repetitively, there was further concern. Combination of two unknowns made selecting the appropriate weight more difficult. My final determination was to scale the deads to a challenging load and complete the remainder as prescribed. Each deadlift effort was smooth and technically sound. The body weight components of this program are for the “big boys”, those who move the massive barbell loads with relative ease. I breezed through the MUs and HSPUs. My pace on the cleans was deliberate, using adequate rest to ensure no missed attempts. I was surprised with my tolerance for the weight. Two-fifty is the new 225. I finished the workout with a sense of achievement. However, accomplishment should never equate to satisfaction. Before the end of time, Turbo J will sit victorious upon throne of the “King”.
Gave it a whirl:
ReplyDelete1 Deadlift @ 295 (94-95% 1RM)
2 Muscle Ups
3 Squat Cleans @ 185 (92-93% 1RM)
4 HSPU
176bw. 7:49
My PR on deadlift was 315 and squat clean was 185. I thought my deadlift may had risen to 320-325 and was pretty sure my squat clean was more like 195 but hadn't tested either in 6 weeks or so. So, I thought I was in the right range relative to known 1rm's for scaling the wod. Attacked the muscle ups straight from the dead and managed the cleans as best as I knew how. HSPU wasn't difficult until round 3. No missed reps on anything.
Afterwords I had second thoughts about my chosel loads and decided to answer some questions. Since I was already warmed up and felt like things went pretty smooth at those weights I decided to see if my squat clean or dead lift max had gone up.
First came the squat clean. 195 went up like I thought it would and it felt like I caught it deep and was strong on the way up. Time for 205. This was a lot tougher and I almost lost balance in the hole. That may have had something to do with a feeling of things getting really dark. I thought I was going to black out but came out of it pretty quick. Considered 210 but wasn't committed and it went nowhere. Result: Up 20lbs on the squat clean max.
Then came the Deadlift. 325 wasn't too much trouble, +10. 335 wasn't too bad either but I thought my form may be failing, + 20 nonetheless. Trickle talked me into going for one more and so I loaded up 345. Pulled smooth from the ground, fought technical failure as best as I could, and stood up with 30lbs more than I ever had. Then, immediately after dropping the load, I experienced something that I never had while lifting. I got really dizzy, couldn't focus, and knew I was headed to the ground. After stumbling around for what can't have been more than a few seconds but felt like minutes, things cleared up and I sat down. It felt like being drunk and getting punched in the head at the same time. Kinda scary. Time to go home.
Overall I'm pretty happy with the day. HSPU and MU were no problem but I should have done the squat cleans at 190 or 195 and the dead at closer to 325 in order to be in the correct percentages. That being said, when I started the wod, the loads were heavy enough to make me "too apprehensive to move fast". At least from what I knew at that point. Fun stuff.
You have to realize that scaling is really just a crap shoot (Vegas theme). The first factor is the universal standard. For example, if the standard for a mile is 4 min then should you endeavor to achieve 4 min in your scaled down wod? For this wod you could certainly go ligher and achieve a much faster time but would it be the same? What if you go too heavy and it takes 40 minutes? Each would have benefits but the truth is that unless all things are the same, including confounding variables, they are two different wods. So what is the answer? In my opinion you should endeavor to do the real wod just like you did when doing most of the bench mark wods for the first time. New clients have two issues, learning the movements and acquiring the fitness to actually finish the wod. Then it becomes a race against time. For those of us who can do those wods as prescribed we are doing ourselves an injustice if we aren't migrating to the next level. This doesn't mean we have to suffer like a new client doing fran for the first time but we need to keep ourselves in check as both teachers and students. A good idea might be a series of pre king kong wods as established benchmarks. This would inspire a more systematic and quantifiable approach. For example, to run a 4 min mile you would have to run the RX pace for 400 before attempting 800 before attempting 1200 before attempting the mile. I've used this approach with other activities and thought it would be useful. Thoughts?
ReplyDeleteI agree, scaling is tricky and far from an exact science. In the past I have often felf like Tom Hanks' character in "Big" standing in line at the carnival for the big boy rides only to be told (realize at the last minute) that I don't have what it takes. The realization that I'm not "Big" enough in one aspect or the other takes precedence and I have generally kept myself in check.
ReplyDeleteWith this wod I felt like the entry fee was efficency in the MU and HSPU. In other words I knew they wouldn't add any time to my result other than the few seconds required to complete them unbroken. So at that point I attempted to scale the cleans and dead to around Turbo's percentages and see how it went. Again, this should have gotten me in the door. Looking back I realize that this rationale was somewhat flawed. I should have had a more intimate knowledge of my limits within those two movements and scaled from there. My info was outdated and that in turn led to what I can only define as a failure. The wod wasn't done true to it's original intention and therefore my time is relatively meaningless. I did a different wod. Had I gone at 190# on the cleans and 330 on dead I think I would have scaled the "standard" to a point where it was a similar experience for me as it was for yourself and Turbo. That didn't happen.
On the other hand...
The overall result was an increased level of knowledge and confidence in my capabilities and for that reason I would have to define the day as a success.
While I agree with your approch in training for any event or task by working up to it as your example of the 4min mile describes, I'm confused on how to apply the methodology with a wod like this. As I mentioned above, would your recommendation have been to find my limit on those lifts before doing this wod? or is there something else I could have done to do some other sort of "pre king kong" preparation. or, at the other end of the spectrum, do you believe there are certain wods that just shouldn't be scaled? go rx or find a majic ticket?