RX THE WOD

Beijing Heaven & Hell Week is secure! I’m flying back home today. Overnight pollution shot up to highest levels (420), but this morning’s rain will clean it all up. This weekend Beijing will be as good as new. With a great conference behind me and some new friends from Chinese business and investment world – this trip was a great success. After my fourth time this year in China I’m even more amazed by the people and culture here.

During the last WODs today I reminded myself that tomorrow is Rest Day. About time…

Day 7 WOD 1
Warmup – handstands, double unders, Samson stretch
ANGIE
– 100 Pullups
– 100 Pushups
– 100 Situps
– 100 Squats
TIME: 17:30 PR

Day 7 WOD 2
– 5 free handstands
– 5 handstand pushups
20 MANMAKERS TIME: 3:53 @2x25lbs

I’m looking forward to resting on the plane….

My week in Beijing is almost over. The conference was awesome and it was amazing to meet people from all over China. There are 220 cities with over a million residents and some of the things I’ve seen seem only the beginning of their amazing transformation. Speaking of transformation, the smog returned this week and the surrounding buildings are barely visible.
Today’s 2 WOD combo went slower as muscle fatigue is setting in…

Day 6 WOD 1
Warmup Handstands, double unders
ANNIE
50-40-30-20-10 of:
– double unders
– situps
TIME: 12:30 with 3x singles. I lost my double unders to fatigue…

Day 6 WOD 2
2 min max situps: 53
– 100 pushups: 3:35
I was going to do 100 cleans but my shoulders wouldn’t play along…

There is an important lesson about coupling ‘Murph’ with another WOD: Don’t. Especially when your location’s air quality index is at 3 times the unhealthy level. That said, these workouts remind me how much more is in the tank… Even though my shoulders were shot before starting ‘Jack’.

Day 5 WOD 1
Warmup (Burgener, double under, handstand)
MURPH
– 1 mile run
– 100 pullups
– 200 pushups
– 300 squats
– 1 mile run
TIME: 50:53

Day 5 WOD 2
2 min max squats: 41
JACK
As many rounds as possible in 20 mins:
– 10 push presses
– 10 Kettlebell swings
– 10 box jumps
SCORE: 10 rounds

No olympic athlete would emerge in China if they had to train on the fitness equipment available in my new hotel. Too bad the hotel managers weren’t inspired by the Olympic park neighborhood they are in (like at least 1 pullup bar or barbell). I had to modify my plan to accomodate the globo-gym setup and decided to make the best of it.

Day 4 WOD 1
WARMUP
– Burgener
– Free handstands
– Double unders

GLOBO CINDY
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
– 5 pullups (175lb lat pulldown)
– 10 pushups
– 15 squats
SCORE: 15 rounds

Day 4 WOD 2
2 MIN MAX double unders: 22
50 Dumbbell swings 50lb: 4:34

I was too tired to do 150 swings…

Today Beijing air was super clean which I can immediately feel in the morning. I moved hotels as our conference is in the convention center next to the Olympic Stadium. Seeing the Bird’s Nest live is amazing as the whole Olympic village is absolutely massive even by Chinese standards.
Fit in my two workouts in my old hotel as I knew well this would be the last decent gym on this trip. The Bear Complex was a really really tough workout due to the fact that we can’t put the weight down…

Day 3 WOD 1
WARMUP
– Burgener
– 10 free handstands
– 20 double unders

SNATCH PRACTICE

“BEAR COMPLEX”
5 rounds (no time, increasing load)
– 7 times the sequence (no resting the bar on the ground):
— Power clean
— Front Squat
— Push press
— Back squat
— Push press
LOAD: 45/65/75/85/95

Day 3 WOD 2
– 2min max dips: 54
– 2k ROW: 9:13