Smashby's Training Blog

Rob Orlando (Owner of Hybrid Athletics) has been featured on my blog before for his feats of superhuman strength. In this video, he performs the CrossFit Football workout Kalsu (named after Robert James Kalsu, an Army LT who was killed by mortar fire on July 21,1970 at Firebase Ripcord near the Ashau Valley).

If you know anything about CrossFit Hero workouts, they are true tests of will to complete. Their purpose is to remember those who gave their lives and show our appreciation for their service by completing a workout in their honor. These are not regular workouts.

Kalsu, for example, is “prescribed” as:

“On the minute:
Complete 5 burpees and perform max rep 135 lbs thrusters on the minute.

The goal is to complete 100 total thrusters.
*At the beginning of every minute perform 5 burpees, for the rest of the minute perform as many thrusters as you can during that minute. At the beginning of the next minute perform 5 burpees and then max rep thrusters and so on until you reach 100 total thrusters.”

Yeah, no joke. Rob Orlando decides to attempt this workout with not the prescribed 135lbs, but 225lbs instead. Unreal. Although he gives himself a 20 minute time cap, and actually does not complete the workout in that time, you can still see the amazing push he gives and the incredible strength this man possesses. I was inspired.

R.I.P., Kalsu.