130528

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I have no way to preface this other than honesty. It will sound trite and overdramatic, but this video somewhat captures one of the most emotional moments I’ve ever experienced in sport. It was a roller coaster weekend overall, but this was most certainly the most gut-wrenching part of the ride.

I am about as cynical as possible, and am especially so when it comes to the importance of “competitive exercise”. The thing you don’t see in this video is Michael Winchester being carried off the floor—due to the fact that his arms and legs had completely quit working. He didn’t say a word for almost ten full minutes, his pupils were dilated, and he was completely catatonic. We used to tell new clients that they didn’t need to worry about working out so hard that they would pass out, because their bodies would shut down first. This was the first time I have ever seen it happen.

WOD 130528:

BBG

1) Every 40 seconds for 4 minutes:

1 Snatch (full) + 1 Heaving Snatch Balance + 1 OHS @ 70%

2) Every 40 seconds for 4 minutes:

1 Clean (full) + 1 Push Jerk + 1 Split Jerk 70%

*Notes: These should both be completed as a complex, without dropping the bar between movements.

Conditioning

For time:

20 Burpee Over-the-Box Jumps 20″
40 TTB
20 Burpee Over-the-Box Jumps 20″
40 Row for Calories
20 Burpee Over-the-Box Jumps 20″
40 C2B Pullups
20 Burpee Over-the-Box Jumps 20″

Group #3 Work – 130528:

BBG

1) Every 30 seconds for 3 minutes:

1 Power Snatch + 2 Behind-the-Neck Push Presses @ 70%

*Notes: This should be completed as a complex. The bar should be lowered to the back rack after the Power Snatch, and the Push Presses should be performed with a Snatch grip.

2) Every 30 seconds for 3 minutes:

2 (touch and go) Power Cleans + 1 Push Jerk @ 70%

Conditioning

3 rounds for total working time of:

50 Double-Unders
20 UB HSPU (reg standard)
15 UB TTB

Rest 1:3

47 thoughts on “130528”

  1. What happened afterwards? Was Michael diagnosed?
    At the European Regionals, 3 individual competitors actually got Rhabdo. I thought it was only some kind og ‘crossfit myth’ until then…

    • I’m assuming Winchester is okay as he came out later for the squat clean rope climb event and did well. I sure hope he is okay. The best part of it for me was seeing little Jess Estrada basically clean the bar up for the final lunge. It was gutting watching them struggle so close to the end but it was great seeing how well they worked together. Mikey’s ability to push through pain is pretty impressive. I would have been a pile of jelly on the arena floor.

  2. And this is why I left crossfit. Because the crossfit community will run with this video and champion it as evidence of dedication, grit and “toughness”. New crossfitters will watch this and think “thats how far I should push my body.” Its just idiocy. It accomplishes nothing for your long term health and strength. Instead, Mike’s life was put at serious risk. Yes, most professional sports done at an elite level put you at risk of injury, but none glorify it like crossfit does. Focus on the olympic lifts, do them 3x a week and let your body recover and you’ll be snatching 110kg well into your 60s.

    • ‘but none glorify it like crossfit does’

      are you aware of the NFL? the NHL? UFC? Boxing? Ultra distance running and triathlons? distance cycling? freeride/bmx/downhill mountan biking? skateboarding? snowmobiling(dude died last year in the x games)? base jumping? parkour? world class gymnastics? because if this bothers you as much as you type, you’ve got bigger battles to fight than crossfit.

    • Then why are you on a strength & conditioning site dedicated to competitive exercising “CrossFit”? FaceBook would be more suited to your gains sir!

    • Life is short no matter how long you live. Seems like you left CrossFit because you lack dedication, grit and toughness. 🙂 Just joking bro, you’re probably a great athlete with extremely high functioning mental and physical prowess. I know I’m looking forward to doing workout 6: Central East Region Represent!

    • seems there are a few negative reactions to this comment, Gian. But everything you’ve said here is bang on. There’s an element of reckless enthusiasm in CrossFit which coaches need to keep reined in when programming and supervising WODs, and which is almost completely unrestrained in competitions. Yes of course there are risks in any athletic or sporting endeavour, and the more intensely you perform it, the higher up the risk/reward curve you go. But boxing, NFL, etc don’t have a mantra of “mechanics, consistency, then intensity”, don’t purport to improve the quality or length of your life, and don’t claim that the activity is inclusive and available to everyone regardless of fitness level. Exactly as you said Gian, CrossFit claims to be about well-rounded strength, fitness and health, but gives ample provision for – indeed sometimes encourages – pushing one’s body well beyond what is sensible.

  3. “It is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that just because you don’t like something, it is empirically not good.”

  4. BBG
    1) 56 kg (Based off 80) – no misses
    2) 70 kg (Based off 100) – no misses

    Conditioning tonight

  5. REAL living can ONLY be achieved by pushing the limits….People have pushed themselves to greatness far further than passing out at a sporting event Gian! Get a grip man! Michael was strong enough to come back and compete…end of the “DANGEROUS” Crossfit BS! Life is DANGEROUS…and we sure as hell GLORIFY that!

  6. I’ve seen blokes walking blind before. Walking until they run into something, no functioning mentally, but physically moving. Usually once they do get stopped they are in a pretty bad way. Not necessarily heat related either, sometimes I think it is often a bodies reaction to extreme situations. Some people often forget what they are training for, I know in the military people realise this risk and they are training this hard so they can fight easy. People who say Crossfit is too hard or has too many risks probably are right. If your life is risk free why condition your body to deal with these extremes. You would be better off taking a risk adverse diet and moderate low risk exercises like swimming/jogging.

  8. 1) tried with 60 first but didn’t go as planned. Hit all but the second one with 50kg
    2) 70kg – push jerk was the hardest part for me.

    conditioning
    rx – ~28minutes (someone turned off my timer) – most trouble with TTB & C2B pullups, had to split up both in small sets… didn’t expect it to go this bad.

  9. Bbg –

    1) 195
    2) 225

    Cnd – 14:26. Super fatigued today for some reason

  12. Hey guys…I’ve been following outlaw now for about 2 months. I don’t post on here but I do always read through here. I’m wondering what I can sub for the rowing for calories. Usually I’ll sub running for rowing but when it comes to rowing for calories, I don’t know how to sub for that. I’ve read SDHP but how much weight should I use and how may pulls equal a calorie. I’d appreciate any help! Thanks.

  13. at home regionals day 2
    I knew i had no hope of making it through these without scaling them, but I wanted to see what I was made of.

    the 100’s-25min timecap-390
    didnt get to the snatches. chest to bar slowed me way down.
    deadlifts/box jumps-8min timecap-42 reps
    pulling 315 for 21 reps was rough

    i have been weighed. i have been measured. and i have been found wanting. but i am not discouraged.

  17. took a week off, needed to make changes in my life. but im back and changed. just doing conditioning for a little while because im working on form with EVERYTHING.

    conditioning: 24:58
    i did almost all the BP box jumps unbroken, did the row unbroken and couldnt do it all CTB because my pull ups arent that great, so i just did reg pull ups after 10, but it still was hard, took up around 6-7 min of my time, any advice on generating force on the pull up?

  18. Sn- based off 200. Did 2 mins then took a break because my right hip flexor has been killing me for months and was trying to murder me today. Did another 2 mins after a few min rest.

    CnJ- based off 255

    METCON- My right hip flexor attempted to murder me again. Quit after 2 mins. Better luck tomorrow I hope.

  19. BBG:
    1) Off 170
    2) Off 225

    Outlaw CrossFit Conditioning (looked like fun):
    10:45

    2/4/3

  24. 1) 110- missed last snatch balance putting it on my back, redid it in the time frame.
    2) 130 no misses.

    Conditioning: 19:35… slow……

    • I just tried to estimate how long it would take me to row 40 cal so I ran 600m it took me 3 minutes. How long did it take everyone else to do the row??

  26. Last week, during the pause Back Squats @ 85%, I burst every blood vessel in my neck. The strain was immense, but I pushed through and succeeded on all reps. I sank into my squats deeper than I ever have, and I’m pretty sure that I over-stretched a whole bunch of stuff in my hips on the bounce. I could feel the tug and stretch at the time, but I know I need to get used to bouncing out of the hole and I’ve been practicing it with your programming. My lower back knotted up during the Jackie intervals, despite still putting up good times.

    Anyway, I’ve done most of the work, only skipping the 20 rep back squat on Saturday and doing a hero yesterday in place of the regular work. My oly numbers are artificially low because of the lack of explosion. I’m now modifying around it to work hard while giving it a chance to heal. Hoping to be back to full normal soon … I’m on the heels of a 300# clean and jerk. I was under it two weeks ago and caved under the pressure, so to speak.

    sorry i wasn’t posting for the last week. I know you love your data.

    1) off 205, this was fun.
    2) off 285, (no clean) subbed 2 push jerk +1 split jerk because of lower back issue.

    Conditioning – 11:08

  30. Hey everyone…I’ve been following Outlaw for the past couple months and I’m going to start posting on numbers now. I’m Jessica, 26 years old, 125lbs and from Memphis.

    1.) 70# I liked this complex. (this is my worst lift, although it’s been getting better)
    2.) 100#

    ** I missed Monday’s lifts so I made up the HBBS today @ 165#

    Conditioning: 24:54 subbed the rowing with 80 SDHP with 35# KB…my 20″ box is pretty wide so I had to jump on top of the box

  32. BBG:
    1) off of 70kg
    2) off of 87.5 kg
    …these are always so much harder than they look on paper.

    no conditioning…shot from Monday still.

  33. No Misses
    Off 185#
    Off 245#

    Cond: 17:36 (C2b killed me) went UB on all burpee/box though

    Also did 1RM max back squat, hit 25lb PR! 335#

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