Grand Canyon Mule

This clever workout was concocted by Meg and Rich Mottl of CrossFit Kirkwood. I came across it while perusing their site one afternoon in December and did the workout that same day (got it done in 14:37). It goes:

50-45-40-35-30-25-20-15-10-5 double unders, alternating with 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 pull ups and bench press.

The bench press is supposed to be bodyweight, but I used 115lbs in both instances. Somehow, despite even its popularity in more mainstream fitness regimens, bench press has been a lifelong weakness of mine. Still, I managed to bring my time down by about 90 seconds, finishing in 13:04.

A brief aside here: "Double-unders," as you'll see in the video, refer to a jump rope maneuver in which the rope passes underfoot twice for every jump. In some instances you may see me doing a few single passes before I get into the double-under rhythm. As a movement, they're a real devil, taxing both cardiovascular/respiratory endurance and muscular stamina, not to mention the other neurological qualities they test and improve--coordination, balance, agility, speed, and accuracy. Learning to do them, even while winded, will be a great boon to your fitness. Enjoy!