I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that I know exactly how long this will take you (20 minutes) and there are a lot of built-in rest periods for this WOD. The bad news is that it's a Tabata work out, with a flipping hold instead of rest.
Let me explain: a "normal" Tabata involves 20 seconds of doing as many reps as you can, followed by 10 seconds of rest, with that 20-10 sequence repeated 8 times in a row for every exercise. That means 4 minutes of exercise for a single exercise. Multiply this by 5 exercises, and you get 20 minutes, from start to finish.
This version, however, included a couple of times where you replaced the 10 second rest for holding a static position in which your muscles were contracted. I've heard people call it an "active rest," but really it just means that you don't get to catch your breath during those 10 seconds. Trust me, this was not an easy WOD.
Lastly, you'll need a platform and some dumbbells in order to do every exercise. You're not going to have much time to grab equipment between exercises, so make sure to grab everything you need before you start.
WoD
- 8 rounds of: 20 seconds of push ups, 10 seconds of holding a plank
- 8 rounds of: 20 seconds of dips, 10 seconds of rest
- 8 rounds of: 20 seconds of sit ups, 10 seconds of 45 degree hold
- 8 rounds of: 20 seconds of single-arm dumbbell swings, 10 seconds of rest
- 8 rounds of: 20 seconds of air squats, 10 seconds of holding a squat at the bottom
Exercises
- Push Ups
Bring your chest to the ground for every single rep, and when you come up, make sure your arms are fully extended.
- Plank
From a push up position, lower yourself so that you are about two inches off of the ground. Keep yourself there without moving up or down for the full ten seconds.
- Dips
Using the same set up that you had for the decline push ups, position yourself so your arms are holding you up/off the edge of your platform, with your legs straight out in front of you. You should just be barely forward of the platform; your butt should practically touch the platform as you do your reps. If you come forward too far, you'll put unnecessary strain on your shoulders.
Lower yourself so that your butt touches the ground, and then raise yourself back to the starting position. That's 1 rep. If you do the exercise properly, you'll feel the exercise the most in your triceps.
Scale down: Bend your legs, and put your feet flat on the ground before doing your dips. Since you're lifting less weight this way, this makes the dips easier
- Sit Ups
Keep your feet in butterfly position (heels touching each other), since that isolates your abs. Come all the way up, but don't pull on your neck or lean forward. Doing either of those things reduces the work that your abs have to do.
- Sit Up Hold
This is a little bit like a V-Up, if you're used to those. Lay down on the ground, and extend both your arms and legs away from your body. Raise both of them to about a 45 degree angle, then hold yourself in that position for 10 seconds. You're not allowed to drop your legs to the ground during the full 10 seconds.
- Single Arm Dumbbell Swings
Just use one dumbbell - and go heavy (whatever that means for you). You can break these up however you like, but do an even number with each hand. Regardless of which hand you use, you want a curve in your lower back (your lumbar), as if you were sticking out your chest and bending your lower back inward towards your spine.
Do a quarter squat and put the dumbbell between your legs, right around mid-thigh. Stand up, and as you do so, swing the dumbbell in front of you, keeping your arm locked. Because it's a single dumbbell, you want to swing the dumbbell until it is perpendicular to the ground, directly above your head. Bring it back to starting position to complete the rep.
You want to maintain a good lumbar curve the whole time, and you should bend your legs as you finish a rep. If you’re bending at the waist, you’re doing it wrong, and you might hurt your back.
- Air Squats
Make sure that when you go down, your thighs are at least parallel to the ground. If you can, squat farther down than parallel, so that your bottom ends up closer to the ground than your knees. You want to keep your weight on your heels the whole time, that will help ensure you keep a good lumbar curve & will help with any potential balance issues. For some people, it helps to look up at about 45 degrees to ensure you're not leaning forward & straining your lower back. To ensure this happens, you can throw your hands up to 45 degrees and focus your eyes on your hands on each rep.
- Squat Hold
It's fairly simple: do a squat but don't stand up. Essentially, you're holding the bottom of a squat (hence the name) for as long as possible. Make sure you keep good form on that squat; in particular, keep a good lumbar curve.
You can set your feet as far apart as you like, so long as you squat deep enough for your thighs to be slightly lower than parallel to the ground. That means that your knees should be higher off the ground than your butt.
Lastly, don't rest your hands on your knees. It's easier that way, and you want to hold a legit squat for as long as possible.
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