This is the fifth workout in our series of the most brutal and difficult workouts CrossFit has to offer. It’s called “Roy”; a hero WOD named in honor of Marine Corps Sgt. Michael C. Roy. We all know Hero workouts are brutal, and this one is no different!
5 rounds for time of:
225lb (100kg) Deadlift, 15 reps
20 Box Jumps, 24 inch box
25 Pull-Ups.
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Initial thoughts:
225lb deadlifts aren’t too heavy and sound rather manageable. Box jumps are ok, and pull-ups aren’t that hard…right? Unfortunately, it’s 5 rounds. Which means 75 deadlifts, 100 box jumps and 125 pull-ups. That sounds like it will start to add up!
I’ve done Roy a few times over the past couple of years, and every time my pull-ups are the first thing to break apart and really cost me time. Lets see how we go this time.
Breakdown:
3..2..1.. and we’re off. The deadlifts feel pretty light in the first round –I go unbroken. The box jumps are ticked over and I’m onto the pullups. I try to stay as efficient as possible on the butterfly to preserve my pull for as long as possible. Two sets of 15 and 10 in the first set to save myself.
Round Two comes and goes in a similar way. The deadlifts are still unbroken in round three, but the lats are starting to get pretty tired and the pull of the chins is getting fatigued. The combination of pull-ups and bracing hard during the deadlifts makes my lats one of the most used muscles in this WOD. Its back onto the pull ups in the third round, and they are starting to get pretty damn hard. I’m down to 10, 10, 5. Round 4 is a real slog. Even the box jumps are getting hard. My lower back is pretty tight from the combination of deadlifts and the slightly jarring bounce on the box jump return from the bottom. The lungs are really starting to hurt at this point, almost 20 minutes into the WOD. I grind through small sets of chins and find myself seated and resting on the box trying catch my breath before the start of the last round. Sitting and resting mid-workout!!! Really?!?
Ok, I’m into the last round. It’s gotten very hard to stay tight on the deadlifts from the combined fatigue from the chins/deadlift combo. I break it into 3 sets of 5. 3 very hard sets of 5! The box jumps are among the slowest I’ve done, and the chins are broken up into sets of 5, and a cheeky 3 and 2 to finish it off. Finally I’m done!
Photo Credit: Simply Perfection Photography
I know my lats, lower back and biceps will be pretty sore the next day. A rest day would be nice. Unfortunately, it’s not scheduled for another 2 days.
My time: 24.39min (and my lower back is tight for a few days – better stay tighter on those deadlifts! Lats are pretty smoked for 3 days)
Scale down the deadlift weight. And do step-downs from the box if you want to protect your Achilles.
