4 Rounds Each For Time and Max Reps:
Suicicide Line Sprint 10, 20, 30, 40 Yards
15 Burpees
Max Set of Double Unders
Rest 3 Minutes
*Time for the round stops when you attempt your first double under.
It's about time everyone learns how to do the double under. It is NOT hard. Like everything we do in CrossFit it takes a little practice to get efficient at jumping high enough, utilizing our wrists and having the right timing on the jump. Think speed, power and finesse. Some make this movement harder than it needs to be. Take a look at the picture to the right. The attempt on the left is a lot less efficient than the one on the right. When doing double unders, it is important to keep your body straight up and down. If we bend our knees and kick our feet back not only does the rope now have to clear your knee it has to clear your toes a foot behind you. That is a very common mistake. So, relax jump straight up and down, stay on the balls of your feet and have quick wrists. A good way to practice is doing single unders and throwing a few double unders in the mix. Single, single, DOUBLE! Single, single, DOUBLE!
This exercise is not a grit your teeth and bleed kind of exercise. Yes, this may sound crazy to you but, not everything we do in CrossFit is aggressive. Next time you pick up the rope, think ninja warrior thoughts. Calm, cool and collected.
Here's some tips:
-Look straight ahead
-Keep yourself upright when jumping
-Jump lightly on the balls of your feet
-Keep your elbows by your sides
-Think fast hands
-Relax and breathe!
Oh and next time you say you can't do a double under think again. I don't like the cop-outs. Go buy a rope and practice. It is a skill folks not a talent.
ALSO CHECK OUT!!!
Bring Your A-Game
A great article was posted in the CrossFit Journal yesterday talking about becoming more involved in the CrossFit community and throwing yourself under the bus to compete one way or another. Why not compete? They explain that not competing is similar to building a super awesome race car and never taking it out on the track to see how it drives. Check out the article. There are some pretty cool pictures of our gym in it!
Gia
Oh hell, I love this sport.
Sean V.
Awesome post, Brooke. I’m a bit worried about the WOD today… 40yd line drills are great and all… But how do I scale the other shit part of it? I sure can’t do that Rx’d.
brother mike
http://www.againfaster.com/jump-ropes/ “Get a rope”
Sean, I posted the workout as the WOD on BTWB, you can see the other shit there. Everyone can Rx this.
The article by Kevin Daigle is great. Not only is it great advice for any competition, Crossfit or otherwise, the writing style is phenomenal.
Select quotes:
“However, “forging” elite fitness and not testing its mettle on the field of sport is like building a 1,000-horsepower race car and never taking it out of the driveway”
“The big questions come the week before a competition, when the shitting of yoga pants and board shorts begins.”
and my personal favorite:
“Competition is more accessible than ever with the new format and looks like it will prove to be more fun than a six-pack of Four Loko and giant potato gun.”
Granpa John
The “Bring Your A-Game” article -> featuring CFES Sac Town Throw down: a great shot of one our elite gods (Travis), an instructional moment – the look – from our goddess (Brooke). CFES’ exemplary events – emerging onto main stage in the CrossFit Journal.
Scott Charles
Real world workout, real world application. Makes sense.
Olga B
Brooke, I am getting a rope, incense and guided meditation tapes. Pretty soon I’ll be like this guy in the video, haha.
http://crossfitoneworld.typepad.com/crossfit_one_world/2009/12/double-under-blunder.html
Ashley Drummond
Thanks for another great post and resource Brooke!
The article was quite funny; “Competition is the ‘third date’ of training”…
Ryan Lippmann
Guess who has two thumbs and will be practicing double unders tonight at Wynn Park because work really sucks right now?
<< THIS GUY! p.s. Justin, nice reply to the self righteous d-bag regarding cussing in the article. What a puss.
Eileen
Great article. Great post, Brooke. And, to jump on the call out band wagon for anyone still on the fence – I “scouted” the WOD for Ruth today, sub’ing slamballs for du’s. If I can do it, certainly everyone on the call-out list, and many of you others can! Thanks Travis for all of your great help (again)!
LauraB
Nice article, Brooke! I am one of those who sucked at DU’s, but about a year ago I came in early before class for about 2 weeks and practiced. Lo and behold I nailed 30 in a row at the end of two weeks (up to 47 now!). I actually like DU’s in a WOD now!
The “relax and breath” pointer is probably the best one of the bunch, however that becomes difficult when one is sucking air! 🙂
Brian S
Today’s Crossfit main site had a link to a blog post by Gary Taubes titled “The Dose of Intervention and the Land of Dr. Oz”. It’s a pretty good read.
http://www.garytaubes.com/2011/03/dose-of-intervention-land-of-dr-oz/
Roger Salameh
Listen to me and listen carefully. Get a rope and get your goat. I fucking hate that I suck at DUs and it destroys my time in WODs. I just started working on them regularly. You better do the same. This is not advice. It’s a warning.
Harlan Karnofsky
Roger,
Lets have a DU contest and see who’s truly the worst
Ashley Drummond
Roger and Harlan- I’ll beat both ya’ll!I am the WORST and therefore coming in tonight to practice before doing WOD #1 tomorrow…wishing/hoping/praying it clicks for me soon : )
Matt P
Well, after today’s WOD, I think we have all learned that we need work on DU. I have a PR of 115 unbroken DU and managed 3, 4 and 6 unbroken in the WOD today… I guess it’s time to get out my rope.
brother mike
Breathing hard and heart pounding after scraping yourself off the floor for a 4th set of burpees make double unders interesting- a totally different skill than when you are piddle farting around in a warm up.
Liz
Wow guys the sell is here is just AWESOME! Super excited for today’s beat down…
I too have been struggling with the DU lately.. Not sure what happened.. Had them and then poof they were gone.. Justin says I am in a Slump.. Great Perfect timing with WOD #1 lurking..
So PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.. I will say the jumping straight up has really helped… Now if I could just remember to breath. So much for my multi tasking skills..
Ryan Lippmann
Something is seriously wrong here… WTF is wrong with this group – HAPPY ST PATTY’S DAY!
Tabata Guiness pounding! I’m in!
Amy
I was just thinking the same thing, Ryan!! Any one have St. Patties day plans!!
Scott Charles
For St. Patty’s Day, I plan to practice DUs. etc.
Cherie
So Travis may be able to jump a 36″ box and Justin can work the paralettes but Brooke has some great SHT too. She can jump a pot of gold, jump into splits and some free standing one handed handstands.
http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/HG4VIPuHgURkr0SM
Happy St. Patty’s Day!
brother mike
I have said this before and I will say it again. Blair Morrison is a beast, I would give up being a vegetarian and eat a live f’in chicken if it would make me that bad ass. This is his blog with the three WODs from yesterday. WOD 3# is 100 burpees in the mud with 3 climbs over a 7 foot branch every minute on the minute (time was 8:55).
http://crossfitmobile.blogspot.com/2011/03/100-mud-burpees.html#comments
Matt P
Wow, someone’s planning on getting a “CrossFit Anywhere” tattoo.
Justin Riley
We should hold him down and tattoo a steak on his chest.
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1086475482
Whole 30 completed yesterday, 100% compliance. Beer drinking has commenced today. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Roger Salameh
Doesn’t DU stand for “Drunk and Unruly”. At least that’s what I thought it meant.
Roger Salameh
He’s gonna get a tatoo of Blair I think!
Sean V.
Whole30 all done! I just stared at a piece of bread for 5 minutes before I even bit into it… then I chewed it for like 10 before I even swallowed it… can we just skip the whole “experimentation” part of it… I’m sticking to Paleo. My tummy feels odd… AND WOD1 tomorrow… Talk about bad decisions.