Happy Thursday friends, and Happy Halloween!
Workout 20.4 was released tonight, and it’s a ton of Box Jumps, Clean and Jerks, and either Weighted Step-Ups or Pistol Squats. Just like last week’s workout, I think there will be three main groups of “Rx’d” athletes for this one.
Group 1 – Those not expecting to make it past the Pistol Squats
This is the group that I’m encouraging to GO out of the gates today! Thirty box jumps, fifteen of the lightest clean and jerks, thirty box jumps, fifteen heavier clean and jerks, thirty box jumps… TIE BREAK! Get there as fast as you can.
Since “tie-break” times are logged after every set of jumps, there will be thousands of people at each round’s cut-off. Therefore, the fastest you’re able to get through your final set of box jumps, the higher your ranking will be. If you think, or know, that it’s unlikely you’ll get through a single pistol squat, your goal is to get through your 90th box jump as fast (BUT SAFELY) as possible. For many athletes, that will mean “touch and go” on clean and jerks and a fast tempo through all box jumps.
Once you finish that last box jump, you’ve got the rest of the workout to complete your final set of 10 clean and jerks, and then work on getting any pistol squats!
Group 2 – “Some” pistols and maybe “some” of the fourth set of clean and jerks
If completing a solid number of pistol squats is likely in your wheelhouse, pace the first three rounds of the workout a bit more. If your legs are fried and your heart rate is out of control after your third set of clean and jerks, it will be much more challenging to compose yourself enough to hit 30+ pistol squats and some heavy clean and jerks.
When that barbell weight starts to reach your max range, be sure to really dial it in before pulling that bar off the ground. Speed and aggression will be your best friend… not diving under the bar recklessly and hoping to be able to bounce your way out of it. Brace that core and go!
Group 3 – Expect to at least make it to the second-to-last clean and jerk bar
This group is aiming to complete as much of this workout as possible before the 20 minute time cap stops them. That means they’ll be working out for twenty whole minutes… that’s a long time!
I view the first three rounds of this workout as the equivalent of “getting through Diane” last week. If you sprint through it because the movements are easier and the weights are lighter, but then you’re out of breath and fatigued when the movements get more challenging and the weights get heavier… that doesn’t make too much sense to me. Be prepared to arrive at the first pistol squat, put on your game face, and *then* put your nose to the grindstone.
The name of the game during those final few rounds is going to be “No Missed Reps” for most athletes. Don’t rush through pistols and lose your balance. Don’t rush barbell reps and miss the jerk because you weren’t recovered enough after a heavy clean. Finally, I want to make sure athletes are prepared to squat their cleans in case that bar feels heavier than expected by the time you get to them. During your warm-ups, work up to the heaviest weight you hope to hit, and throw in some squat cleans and split jerks along the way so you’re ready if and when it comes to that mid-workout.
As I said with the heavy deadlifts last week, many of us will be performing heavy clean and jerks while we’re really tired. Please be safe.
I’d love it if you’d watch my strategy video below and let me know what you think, and if it helps you at all.
As always, “Good Luck, Have Fun, I Believe In You!”
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