I made three modifications -- two to scale down, one to scale up -- as indicated below:
- 10 Handstand Push-Ups (as RX'ed)
- 15 Deadlifts @250 pounds (I used 185 pounds instead, but in retrospect, should have gone higher)
- 25 Box Jumps - 30" box (as RX'ed)
- 50 Pull-Ups (as RX'ed)
- 100 Wallball Shots - 20 pound ball, 10' target (I used a 14 pound ball instead)
- 200 Double-Unders (as RX'ed)
- Run 400 meters with a 45 pound plate (I actually scaled this one up, by using a 62.5 pound sandbag instead)
Result: 31:38.
I blazed through the first four moves (handstand push-ups, deadlifts, box jumps and pull-ups) in less than 10 minutes. But the last three moves dragged on for an eternity.
The handstand push-ups were actually a breeze (something I wouldn't have been able to say even two weeks ago), as were the deadlifts. (I'm kicking myself for not going heavier on my deadlifts -- I should have loaded it up to at least 205.) Stringing together 25 consecutive box jumps was a little tougher. Our little gym didn't even have a 30-inch box, so I stacked 6 inches of bumper plates on top of a 24-inch box. I was able to crank out all 25 unbroken, but they winded me. As for the pull-ups, they challenged my grip strength, but with liberal applications of chalk (and a few breaks), I got through 'em pretty smoothly.
It wasn't until I started the 100 wallball shots that the workout really started to punch me in the face. I ended up breaking this down into mini-sets of 10 reps -- and it still sucked balls.
Then came the double-unders. We did these outside on the sidewalk in the pre-dawn darkness; two of us did strict double-unders, while the other subbed in 600 single-unders. Doing 200 double-unders took forever -- especially since the greatest number of consecutive double-unders I was able to string together totaled 15 -- and my Achilles tendons were screaming by the end.
As for the 400 meter run at the end, my decision to grab a 62.5 pound sandbag instead of a 45 pound weight probably wasn't the best one. I'd figured that the sandbag's handles would be easier to grab than the rim of a bumper plate, but the extra pounds and uneven distribution of weight meant I was constantly having to rearrange the sandbag while running. And by "running," I really mean "shuffling."
Still: I can't think of a better way to celebrate the American worker than by working our asses off.
