CrossFit Affiliate Programming Workout of the Month: April
The Morning Chalk Up and CrossFit Affiliate Programming (CAP) team have partnered to bring you a workout of the month, every month. Each time you’ll get the full workout with scaling options, class plan, video links and coaching notes for the day.
Learn more about CAP here, which is now included in affiliate fees starting May 1.
CAP Workout of the Month: April
RX
10-minute AMRAP:
- 3 wall-ball shots (20/14lb)
- 3 ring dips
- 6 wall-ball shots
- 6 ring dips
- 9 wall-ball shots
- 9 ring dips, etc…
Continue to add 3 reps to both movements until time expires.
Intermediate
10-minute AMRAP:
- 3 wall-ball shots (14/10lb)
- 1 ring dips
- 6 wall-ball shots
- 2 ring dips
- 9 wall-ball shots
- 3 ring dips, etc…
Continue to add 3 reps to the wall-balls and 1 rep to the ring dips until time expires.
Beginner
10-minute AMRAP:
- 3 wall-ball shots (10/6lb)
- 3 foot-assisted ring dips
- 6 wall-ball shots
- 6 foot-assisted ring dips
- 9 wall-ball shots
- 9 foot-assisted ring dips, etc…
Continue to add 3 reps to both movements until time expires.
Coaching Tools and Demo Videos:
Stimulus and Goals
| Time | 10:00 |
| Loading | 1 / 5 (light) |
| Skill | 4 / 5 (high) |
| Volume | 4 / 5 (high) |
Intended Stimulus
- All athletes should get to the round of 15. Advanced athletes should push for the set of 21.
- Conflicting movement functions between the press of the wall ball and the press in the ring dip.
- Maintain unbroken wall-ball shot sets for as long as possible.
- No singles on the ring dips.
Coaching Goals
- Challenge athletes on the ring dips, but not to the point of failure.
- Ensure athletes don’t collapse in the bottom of the wall-ball shots.
- Coach athletes to break up the reps sooner than they think is needed to avoid significant muscle fatigue mid-workout.
Scaling Options
Overview
- Adjust the load of the wall-ball shot first. Then, if necessary, reduce the height of the target.
- If athletes can support themselves on the rings without assistance from the feet, have them attempt jumping dips or banded dips.
Movements
- Wall-ball shot | Load, wall-ball push press, wall-ball front squat
- Ring dip | Jumping dips, banded dips, bench/box dips
Logistics
Class Timeline (60 minutes)
- Whiteboard Brief: 0-4
- General Warm-Up: 4-16
- Specific Warm-Up / Skill Work: 16-40
- Break: 40-43
- Workout: 43-55
- Cooldown: 55-60
Equipment Limitations
- If you are short on rings, partner athletes up at a pair of rings. Naturally, athletes will need to rest during this workout. So, sharing a pair of rings should not be an issue for most athletes.
- Athletes can also substitute hand-release push-ups for dips if equipment is limited.
Detailed Class Plan
Whiteboard Brief | 4 Minutes
Target: All athletes reach the round of 15.
- Today’s workout is a classic ascending ladder.
- The movements in the workout have conflicting movement functions. The pressing in the wall-ball shots and the pressing in the ring dips is going to make for some significant muscle fatigue. As this muscle fatigue begins to set in, manage your reps by breaking each set into smaller rep schemes. For example, when you get to the set of 12, consider performing 6/6 or 4/4/4.
- Ideally, the wall-ball shot sets remain unbroken the entire workout. You should never have to break a set into more than 2 sets. Choose an appropriate weight to make sure this happens.
- Expect the ring dips to get more challenging as the workout goes on. Choose a scaling option that forces you to take short breaks, but nothing so challenging that you are hitting failure halfway into the workout.
- Prior to starting the workout, we will spend a little bit of time building up to some heavy hang squat cleans. Even though there are no cleans in the workouts, the movement patterns between the wall-ball shots and the hang squat clean are very similar.
General Warm-Up | 12 Minutes
Equipment: Medicine Ball
- Demonstrate the movements before each step in the progression.
- Because this is a progressive warm-up, each set becomes more challenging.
- If an athlete reaches a movement that they cannot perform, have them go back to a movement in a previous set. This may also be their scaling option for the workout.
- Focus on dialing in the scaling options for the ring dips and the appropriate loading for the wall-ball shots.
Dynamic Warm Up
30 jumping jacks
10 push-up to down dog
10 alternating spiderman stretches
20 skier jacks
:20 top-of-the-ring dip support hold
20 skier jacks
:20 bottom-of-the-ring dip support hold
10 air squats
10 up-downs
10 foot-assisted ring dips
10 wall-ball front squats
30 high knees (in place)
10 jumping ring dips
10 wall-ball push presses to the target
30 butt kickers (in place)
5-10 ring dips
10 wall-ball shots
Specific Warm-Up and Skill Work | 24 Minutes
Equipment: Barbell
Squat clean progression | 8 minutes
- 5 deadlifts to mid-thigh // Mid-thigh position: heels down, shoulders in front of the bar.
- 5 deadlift and shrugs // “Keep the bar close and keep your arms straight.”
- 5 hang muscle cleans // “Keep the bar close, stand fast, and bring elbows through quickly.”
- 5 front squats // “Elbows stay high and full range of motion squat.”
- 5 hang squat cleans // “Jump and drive the legs straight before pulling with the arms.”
Pre-workout skill work | 8 minutes
EMOM 5:
3 hang squat cleans
Build in load.
Workout prep | 8 minutes
3 sets:
3 wall-ball shots
3 ring dips
Rest 1:00 between sets.
Coaching Notes
- Demonstrate each step of the hang squat clean progression before having athletes practice. Focus on correcting one point in each step.
- Once you finish the progression, have athletes load up for the EMOM. Athletes should try to increase their loading across as many sets as possible.
- Once the EMOM is complete, give athletes a few minutes to put away plates and barbells.
- Athletes should treat the workout prep as a practice session for the workout. Get eyes on each athlete for any last-minute adjustments before the workout starts.
Break | 3 minutes
Keep clean-up quick during the skill work so athletes can have a full three-minute break to fill water, ask questions, grab a whiteboard, or use the restroom before you start the clock for the workout.
Workout (Coaching Cues) | 12 Minutes
Wall-ball shots: What To Look For
- Collapsing in the squat
- Knees caving inward
- Ball dropping below the chest
Keep an eye on the descent of the wall-ball shot. Make sure the athlete receives the ball before they begin to squat. Be sure the athlete doesn’t collapse at the bottom of the squat. Sometimes, the collapse can be a product of beginning to squat before the athlete has the ball. Coach athletes to receive the ball and then squat and to actively pull themselves down to the bottom of the squat, versus collapsing.
As an athlete’s pressing stamina begins to “go”, encourage them to jump the wall ball up to the target. Athletes should be using their legs as much as possible and trying to “rest” their triceps before the next set of ring dips.
Cues
- Cue the athlete to pull themselves to the bottom of the squat.
- Cue the athlete to screw the feet into the ground as they squat.
- Cue the athlete to hold the ball at their shoulders. Consider a lighter ball.
Ring dips: What To Look For
- Rings coming away from the body
- Not getting low enough
Look for athletes that are failing ring dips early on in the workout. Expect athletes to need to rest and shake out their arms, but hitting failure early on in the workout is a sign of a poor scaling option. Make mid-workout adjustments as needed, however, if an athlete continues to hit failure after the first mid-workout adjustment, they are done with the workout. Do not give them another easier movement.
Cues
- Cue the athlete to focus on putting the rings in their pockets as they press.
- Cue the athlete to touch their shoulder to the ring.
Cooldown | 5 Minutes
Clean Up | 2 minutes
Give athletes 2 minutes to clean up and record scores.
Demonstrate the stretches in the cool down. Then, set a clock for athletes to time themselves.
As athletes stretch, walk around and check in.
Stretching | 3 minutes
1:00 foam roll quads
1:00 couch stretch/side
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