Murph?

[asdf]

I think I could do the 2x round and then get through another round at 1x.

That's a good scaling option. I sometimes do that with the sit-ups.

[iamsmu]

I think I could do the 2x round and then get through another round at 1x.

That's a good scaling option. I sometimes do that with the sit-ups.

I did it two rounds for just 1x for push ups and situp. Ugh. It's going to take a while to do this 2x. . . .

[asdf]

I did it two rounds for just 1x for push ups and situp. Ugh. It's going to take a while to do this 2x. . . .

I went back to the original source, just to see how it was originally written -- not that it really matters. Regardless, the original workout (written by Rob Shaul at Military Athlete) was:

1x pull-up
1x ring dip (or regular dips + 15#)
2x sit-ups

For the last several years, I've done this workout at least once every couple of weeks. I've consistently done 1x chins, 1x dips, and 2x sit-ups.

Changing to pull-ups and ring dips (or adding 15# to the dips) will slow me down for sure. I switched from pull-ups to chin-ups because I rarely do curls or any direct biceps work, and I thought 100 chins was a nice way to get some. And I switched to regular dips because I'd have to hang my rings on the same bar I use for the pull-ups and it will be a hassle to slide them out of the way and then back each round. And I didn't add 15# to the dips because I'm lazy and because slipping a backpack on and off each round is a nuisance. But...

I'll give the original a try the next time I do this workout and will report back. My guess is reverting to the original Rx will put me well over 30 minutes total. Maybe close to 40. We'll see...

[iamsmu]

I went back to the original source, just to see how it was originally written -- not that it really matters. Regardless, the original workout (written by Rob Shaul at Military Athlete) was:

1x pull-up
1x ring dip (or regular dips + 15#)
2x sit-ups

I can't get the dip attachment on the foldout and do pull ups. I think there's enough room for my rings hung on a rafter. I might try the dip version too. I don't look forward to doing really fatigued ring dips. Sounds a little risky. . . . I might give it a shot on Monday to see if I can maintain decent form. That second hump of 8,10,8 is going to be bad though.

I'm interested to hear how it goes. Good luck.

[asdf]

Went ahead and did the OG version today. It wasn't too bad.

1st round, 2nd round, total time
16:54, 17: 03, 33:57

The pull-ups were no problem which was a nice surprise. I haven't done a pull-up in at least two years. But I do a ton of chin-ups and all of my barbell pulls are double-overhand, so that seems to have kept me in good shape for pull-ups.

I also haven't done ring dips in a really long time. Like seven years or more. They were weird, and I didn't like them. I was pretty shaky at first, which inclined me to go slower. Bad move. Going faster -- especially coming out of the bottom -- made them substantially easier. I still had lots of broken sets, and the nylon straps gave me burns on my arms. I'd rather do 2x bar dips than 1x ring dips again.

In addition to the broken sets, having to adjust the rings before and after the dips really slowed things down. I didn't ever get in a rhythm and it didn't feel like much of a cardio workout at all.

Overall, I like my default version best: 1x chin-ups, 1x bar dips, 2x sit-ups. For me, those are the perfect ratios. Challenging on the 8, 10, 8 for sure, but I can mostly keep moving quickly from movement to movement.

@iamsmu I know you said that you can't set up your dip attachment and still be able to do chin-ups or pull-ups, but maybe you could use a couple of folding chairs or plyo boxes or something?

[iamsmu]

@iamsmu I know you said that you can't set up your dip attachment and still be able to do chin-ups or pull-ups, but maybe you could use a couple of folding chairs or plyo boxes or something?

Nice job!

I might be able to put it on the outside of the folder. It's pretty sturdy. (When I finish the garage, this won't be an issue. I'll have a pull up bar outside the rack and some wall mount strips for a dip stand. . . .) Since the dip attachment lives in the basement right now, I'm going to give the ring dip version a try, though, I'll have to do 1x situps for now. I can't do 200 right now. Pull ups should make this more difficult than chins. . . . I'm going to give it a shot tomorrow.

[asdf]

I'll have to do 1x situps for now. I can't do 200 right now.

About those sit-ups... I do them like this, except my knees are in the regular position, not butterfly. My hands touch the ground overhead and touch below my ankles on every rep. I'm clearly using some arm swing momentum, but I make sure to not pop my hips up to initiate the movement. (I think that's the purpose of the butterfly posture: to prevent a hip-pop start to each rep.)

[iamsmu]

I'll have to do 1x situps for now. I can't do 200 right now.

About those sit-ups... I do them like this, except my knees are in the regular position, not butterfly. My hands touch the ground overhead and touch below my ankles on every rep. I'm clearly using some arm swing momentum, but I make sure to not pop my hips up to initiate the movement. (I think that's the purpose of the butterfly posture: to prevent a hip-pop start to each rep.)

Interesting. I'm not doing anything like that. I'm just hitting my elbows to my legs without moving my arms, holding them across my chest, right hand on left shoulder. They are fixed in front of me. I just tried a few of those in the video. The arm movement makes them easier. Maybe I'll just do that. It might make it more of a conditioning exercise.

[asdf]

I'm just hitting my elbows to my legs without moving my arms, holding them across my chest, right hand on left shoulder. They are fixed in front of me.

Yep, sometimes I do those with my feet anchored by dumbbells, but not often.

I just tried a few of those in the video. The arm movement makes them easier. Maybe I'll just do that. It might make it more of a conditioning exercise.

Yes, easier. Yes, more conditioning. But that's just how I do them. Shaul himself does them like this:



And below is how I do weighted situps. But weighted sit-ups are really hard, because then your shoulders and arms never get a rest in this circuit. Also, if you do the weighted 1x, then you have even less time to recover before going back to the pull-up bar. But give 'em a try sometime. You might like them.

[iamsmu]

Yes, easier. Yes, more conditioning. But that's just how I do them.

I only did one OG round: pull ups instead of chins, ring dips, and 2x sit ups in that arm swing method. My upper abs are numb. They don't let your heart rate drop done like this. Ugh.

The ring straps abraded my forearms. They burn. There was no way I could get a second round in. [I was going to order another dip attachment, but Titan is out. I might just have to get the Rogue. The price isn't that different. (Corona virus might kill Titan. . . .)]

Since I planned on doing just one round, I didn't have to pace. Got it done in just under 14. Dead. If I was going to try two rounds, I'd probably have to slow it down to 20 minutes. Even then, I don't think I could do another 100 situps. And making over the hump with ring dips would be a real challenge.

Are people doing workouts like this, say 2 full rounds of this metcon, in most crossfit gyms? My conditioning level is pretty low right now, but this seems like a fairly difficult workout. I'd be proud to be able to finish both rounds in 40 minutes.

[asdf]

@iamsmu I have the Rogue Matador dip attachment. It's great. I attach it on the outside of the rack so I can still do chin-ups, but I think it's supposed to go on the inside only, for stability reasons. I mount it low and I don't weigh much, so it's fine.

I don't push the pace during this workout, except perhaps towards the very end. Mostly I just try to keep moving, a few deep breaths before the chin-ups to try to keep sets unbroken, even if that doesn't happen.

This metcon is on the longer side (for CrossFit), but it's pretty low intensity. Personally, I find it much easier than say, a 20-round Cindy or a Filthy Fifty.

I don't think most people in most CrossFit gyms could do two rounds of this Rx. But there's a wide variety of CrossFit gyms. Some are filled with aging Boomers, some are filled with aspiring competitors, etc. They're kinda like running clubs. A group run in Anytown, America will have some people who can churn out six-minute miles, but most are going to be running in the 8-12 minute range.

You should try the other metcons as well. They're shorter, but more intense.

[augeleven]

Ugh.
After not chinning or dipping in 2020, I decided to try this. I did 2,4, realized I was over my head, and walked back down the ladder. Chins scare me a bit, because I've had elbow issues and I'm low bar squatting for the first time in years right now.

@asdf, what do you think is the difference between doing this as a ladder, or as doing it with easier fixed reps, like 1,2,3 or 1,3,5? although I might just try x1 ladders, maybe capped at 4 for 10 minutes

[asdf]

[deleted b/c I have better thoughts about ladders vs. fixed reps which I'll try to write up tomorrow.]

[augeleven]

For the record, the ugh was in relation to my failure, not the ladders themselves.

[asdf]

For the record, the ugh was in relation to my failure, not the ladders themselves.

Sorry, you're right. My comment didn't make sense. I deleted my post.

[iamsmu]

This metcon is on the longer side (for CrossFit), but it's pretty low intensity. Personally, I find it much easier than say, a 20-round Cindy or a Filthy Fifty.

Well the Filthy 50 looks just awful. I'd have to make some mods, since I don't have all that gear.

I've done Cindy a few times. I did a Murph last year doing the Cindy portion in 22:20. . . . The pu, dip, su metcon seems worse than a Cindy. I must just be really de-conditioned at the moment. Hell, I know that's the case. . . . I'll scale up to a 20 round Cindy again soon to see.

[iamsmu]

Filthy Fifty.

For Time
50 Box Jumps (24/20 in)
50 Jumping Pull-Ups
50 Kettlebell Swings (1/.75 pood)
50 Walking Lunge Steps
50 Knees-to-Elbows
50 Push Presses (45/35 lb)
50 Back Extensions
50 Wall Ball Shots (20/14 lb)
50 Burpees
50 Double-Unders

I'm interested in this one. Sounds miserable. I can get a cheap 1 pood kettle bell on Titan for $42 shipped. They also have cheap 20# slam balls and leather medicine wall balls. (I'm not sure which would be better.) I don't have a 10' wall. I can hit a rafter instead. . . . But I have no way to do back extensions. I guess I could sub in RDLs with just the bar or something. . . . Double unders will be a problem. I have a rope, just can't really do them. Hmmm. I'll practice.

[asdf]

Filthy Fifty.

I'm interested in this one. Sounds miserable. I can get a cheap 1 pood kettle bell on Titan for $42 shipped. They also have cheap 20# slam balls and leather medicine wall balls. (I'm not sure which would be better.) I don't have a 10' wall. I can hit a rafter instead. . . . But I have no way to do back extensions. I guess I could sub in RDLs with just the bar or something. . . . Double unders will be a problem. I have a rope, just can't really do them. Hmmm. I'll practice.

Do you have dumbbells? You can use one for swings, and do db thrusters for wall balls. Standing good mornings are a common sub for back extensions. And just do single-unders rather than double. Double the reps if you feel bad about singles being "easy."

[asdf]

I've done Cindy a few times. I did a Murph last year doing the Cindy portion in 22:20. . . . The pu, dip, su metcon seems worse than a Cindy. I must just be really de-conditioned at the moment. Hell, I know that's the case. . . . I'll scale up to a 20 round Cindy again soon to see.

I think that's a really good time for 20 rounds of Cindy, especially if you're doing the pull-ups strict -- and after a mile run.

20 rounds of Cindy is actually more work than the MA metcon we've been discussing.

20 rounds of Cindy =
100 chin-ups
200 push-ups
300 squats

MA metcon done 1x chins, 2x push-ups 2x sit-ups =
100 chin-ups
200 push-ups
200 sit-ups

Maybe the rep-scheme / ladder is slowing you down on the MA metcon?

[asdf]

what do you think is the difference between doing this as a ladder, or as doing it with easier fixed reps, like 1,2,3 or 1,3,5? although I might just try x1 ladders, maybe capped at 4 for 10 minutes

I like the ladder because you have six sets of challenging reps (8, 10, 8 - twice), but you also have four sets of the easier 6, 4, 2 rounds that allow you to get in some volume and practice.

The way it's structured, as a double hill, is mentally challenging. It would be a lot easier physically and psychologically if it were all downhill, like this:

10, 8, 6, 4, 2
8, 6, 4, 2
10, 8, 6, 4, 2
8, 6, 4, 2

I've never done it that way, but will the next time I do it.

I like your scaling ideas. You could keep the double hill, like this:
1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1

And progress could be adding another rep to the top of the hill, one hill at a time: 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1