2010.01.27

Today’s WoD was all about isolation, so you’re working on only one arm/side at a time. That means use a weight you’re comfortable with, because that dumbbell is going to be your friend for a while. Notice that there are no scale downs for any of the exercises in the WoD. If you do need to scale down, it’s preferable to use a lighter weight & finish the same number of reps (as opposed to using the same weight but doing fewer reps)

For the warm up, do either all the jump rope exercises (the left side) or all of the non-rope exercises (the right side). Don’t mix and match. It’s preferable to use a jump rope if you can find one. We ran out, though, so a few people had to do the alternate. Also, if you can’t do double-unders, you’re essentially jumping rope for 3 minutes straight.

Warm Up
30 seconds of jumping rope (single-unders) OR 30 seconds of jumping jacks
30 seconds of jumping rope (double-unders) OR 30 seconds of “jumping rope” without rope
30 seconds of jumping rope (single unders) OR 30 seconds of jumping jacks
30 seconds of jumping rope (double-unders) OR 30 seconds of “jumping rope” without rope
30 seconds of jumping rope (single unders) OR 30 seconds of jumping jacks
30 seconds of jumping rope (double-unders) OR 30 seconds of “jumping rope” without rope

WoD
5 rounds of: 25 single-arm thrusters (weaker hand)
25 single-arm dumbbell swings (weaker hand)
25 single-side lunges with dumbbell (weaker hand)

5 rounds of: 25 single-arm thrusters (stronger hand)
25 single-arm dumbbell swings (stronger hand)
25 single-side lunges with dumbbell (stronger hand)

Exercises
· Jump rope (single-unders)This is just continuous jumping rope. The single refers to how many times the rope turns each time you jump.
· Jump rope (double-unders)Done properly, the rope will revolve two full times each time you jump. The trick to learning to do these is finding your rhythm. You don’t necessarily jump higher, you just flick your wrists harder to get the extra revolution. It may take some time to learn how to do these, but most people figure it out after some experimenting.Scale down: Just do single-unders if you can’t do these yet
· “Jumping rope” without ropeIf you don’t have a rope, just simulate the motion. It’s essentially jumping in place, or very roughly equivalent to the footwork for shadow boxing
· Single-arm thrustersAgain, use a weight that’s comfortable, you have to do all one arm before you get to switch off. The guys used anywhere from 15 to 25lbs, and most of the women used between 5 and 15lbs. Hold the weight at about shoulder level, with your palm facing away from you. Squat down, keeping the weight there. As you come up, press the weight overhead until your arm is fully extended. Bring the weight back to the starting position to finish the rep. If you need the added stability, keep your other hand on your waist the whole time to help balance yourself out.In practice, most people make it a continuous motion, so they go right into their next squat right after the arm comes down. That’s fine, but make sure you actually bring the weight back to starting position before you start the next squat. Otherwise, it’s a tougher strain on your back.
· Single-arm dumbbell swingsThese are pretty much just like regular dumbbell swings, but you only use one hand. If you’re not familiar with the technique, keep your legs a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Do a quarter squat, and hold the weight in between your legs, at about mid-thigh level. Keeping your back straight, come up out of the squat & swing your arm to a 45 degree angle above your sight-line. You shouldn’t bend over at any point, it’s just a bending & straightening of your legs as you swing the weight. Again, keep your off-hand on your waist if it’ll help you stabilize.
· Single-side lunges with dumbbellHold the weight at your side (with whichever hand you’re supposed to be working on for that set). If you’re holding the weight on your left side, do the lunge so that your right leg comes forward and your left leg bends. Come back to starting position to finish the rep. Since you’re doing isolation, you don’t switch off legs, just repeat that motion for 25 reps in a row.One alternative is to hold the weight on top of your shoulder, on the side you’re supposed to be working. It’s the same idea, you’re still weighing down that side, you’re just positioning the weight higher up. Since you’re still doing the lunge and you’re still weighed down on that side, it’s the same effect. Either way, up to you.

It’s a good workout, you work both your upper & lower body. As always, have fun.