To individuals who have by no means executed CrossFit, each CrossFit WOD would possibly look brutal. To individuals who do CrossFit, a particular subset of brutal exercises brings athletes to what’s (semi-fondly) referred to as “the ache cave.” 

The King Kong CrossFit WOD is a type of exercises. 

In contrast to different common CrossFit exercises, the King Kong WOD isn’t technically a benchmark exercise (just like the Woman WODs and lots of the Hero WODs). Nonetheless, that hasn’t stopped CrossFit athletes from treating it like such. The King Kong WOD has garnered an awe issue throughout the CrossFit neighborhood. For those who can carry out this exercise as written, you’re a CrossFit celebrity.

The King Kong CrossFit WOD is as follows: 

3 Rounds For Time

• 1 deadlift (455 kilos for males, 320 kilos for girls)
• 2 muscle-ups
• 3 squat cleans (250 kilos for males, 175 kilos for girls)
• 4 handstand push-ups

The King Kong CrossFit WOD

Rating: The King Kong WOD is scored for time, which implies you full the entire rounds and reps as quick as doable. 

Tools Wanted: Barbell, bumper plates, gymnastics rings, wall house, cranium mat

Degree: King Kong is an equipment-heavy and elite-level exercise that shouldn’t be tried by learners with out correct modifications. 

Objective Instances: 

• Newbie: 8-10 minutes 
• Intermediate: 6-8 minutes
• Superior: 4-6 minutes
• Elite: lower than 4 minutes

Earlier than moving into the exercise, we should always make clear what these aim occasions imply. The King Kong WOD is brief—if you happen to can carry out all of the actions as is, the exercise solely consists of 30 whole reps between the three rounds. 

For elite athletes, this WOD takes not more than 4 or 5 minutes. The aim occasions above mirror the skills of athletes who can carry out the entire actions as is, however with various ranges of effectivity. So, the aim time for learners refers to individuals who can carry out the entire workout routines however want extra relaxation in between reps. 

Advantages

There are some advantages in retailer for individuals who can deal with the King Kong WOD.

Power 

The primary consequence of the King Kong WOD is, as needs to be anticipated, pure energy. With weights like 455 kilos and 320 kilos, the intent is to problem your muscle mass—each spherical of the exercise requires all-out efforts. Deadlifting and squat cleansing high-triple digit numbers is a feat even for very robust individuals, so suffice it to say that the King Kong WOD encourages energy positive factors. 

Gymnastics Expertise 

Half of the King Kong WOD is strength-based; the opposite half is gymnastics-based. Handstand push-ups and muscle-ups are two notoriously difficult CrossFit actions that require phenomenal muscle management and physique consciousness. Practising these actions, or some variations of them, will educate you to maneuver your physique within the seamless, fluid method attribute of gymnasts. 

Step-by-Step Directions

The King Kong WOD is a “for time” exercise, which implies you full the entire reps as rapidly as you possibly can. You possibly can relaxation as wanted between reps and units, however there’s one large factor it’s best to know: you’ll both have to alter the weights in your bar each spherical, or have another person do it for you. 

This may be kind of a hassle throughout exercises, so it’s finest to arrange your exercise station in a approach that makes it straightforward to take the load off and put it again on. That’s until you wish to do the deadlifts and the squat cleans with the identical weight, which you’re definitely free to do. If in case you have the house and the gear, you may as well arrange two barbells, one for the deadlift and one for the clear. 

How you can Do a Deadlift

1. Stand behind your barbell together with your toes shoulder-width aside and toes underneath the bar. Use an overhand or combined grip. Level your toes ahead or angle them out simply barely. 
2. Bend all the way down to grip the barbell, sending your hips backward first (the hip hinge). The bar ought to graze your shins, and your backbone needs to be in a decent, impartial place. Maintain your neck in step with the remainder of your backbone (don’t hyperextend). 
3. Stabilize your belly muscle mass by participating your core.
4. Drive by means of your heels and hamstrings to raise the bar off of the bottom. Maintain the barbell near your physique and get up all the way in which, totally extending your hips. Pull your shoulder blades again to keep away from rounding, however don’t bend backward. 
5. Decrease the bar to the ground by hinging on the hips, then bending your knees, and controlling the total descent. 

How you can Do Muscle-Ups 

Please notice that most individuals can’t simply stroll right into a health club and carry out a muscle-up; there’s plenty of coaching that goes into profitable muscle-ups. For those who haven’t carried out muscle-ups earlier than, discuss to a coach about modifications and progressions. 

1. Bounce to seize onto a pair of gymnastics rings with a false grip (thumbs go on prime of the rings, not round them). You need to have sufficient room and top to swing with out scraping your toes on the bottom. 
2. Carry out a number of kips (alternate between the “arch” and “hole” positions). Achieve sufficient momentum to the place you’re feeling your self gaining extra top with every kip. 
3. Explosively thrust your hips upward (very similar to you’d in a barbell hip thrust) and take into consideration pulling your stomach button to the rings. The aim right here is to get as horizontal as doable and convey your physique as shut as doable to the rings. 
4. When you pull your physique up and obtain a horizontal place, rapidly flip your elbows behind you to rotate right into a vertical place together with your chest over the rings. 
5. Lastly, carry out a triceps dip on prime of the rings and totally lengthen your arms. 
6. In reverse order, return again to the useless grasp place. Push away from the rings on the prime to maintain your momentum, and as you fall again into the grasp, attempt to begin one other kip straight away.

How you can Do Squat Cleans

1. Stand in entrance of the barbell together with your toes hip-distance aside. Decrease your physique right into a deadlift place and grip the bar totally, together with your arms simply exterior of your shins. Maintain your backbone in a impartial place; your again ought to stay tight and robust.
2. Arise with the bar, retaining it near your physique. Along with your core engaged, pull the bar till it hovers at thigh-height. Your hips needs to be totally prolonged, in step with your ankles and knees.
3. Thrust your hips ahead powerfully, squeezing your glutes and hamstrings, to realize momentum and propel the bar upward. Chances are you’ll roll onto the balls of your toes throughout this explosive portion of the raise.
4. Shrug your shoulders and raise your elbows up excessive, pulling the bar about to the peak of your collarbone. 
5. Flip your elbows ahead and drop right into a entrance squat. Catch the barbell within the front-rack place. 
6. Stand tall with the load resting on the entrance of your shoulders. Maintain your elbows pointed ahead, together with your triceps parallel to the bottom.

How you can Do Handstand Push-Ups

Please notice that there’s quite a lot of preliminary coaching that goes into handstand push-ups. This how-to covers kipping handstand push-ups, however discuss to a coach about modifications if you happen to’re not sure about whether or not you possibly can safely carry out them. 

1. Kick up in opposition to a wall (your again ought to face the wall) together with your arms about six to 10 inches away from the wall. Press into the ground and lock out your elbows. 
2. With management, slowly decrease your self down till the highest of your head touches the bottom (use a mat or folded towel for consolation). 
3. Tuck your knees into your chest. 
4. Powerfully lengthen your legs by squeezing your glutes and hamstrings, concurrently urgent up together with your shoulders and lengthening your arms. 
5. On the prime, your legs and arms needs to be totally prolonged, together with your backbone in a impartial place. This completes one rep. 
6. Fastidiously decrease your self again all the way down to the bottom to start out one other rep. 

Frequent Errors

Beneath are frequent errors you would possibly encounter throughout every train.

Deadlift Errors 

The deadlift is likely one of the most elementary weightlifting actions, however that doesn’t imply there’s not room for error. Be careful for these frequent method errors to keep away from hurting your self. 

Rounded Again

In case your again rounds throughout a deadlift, it probably means the load is just too heavy. Your backbone ought to stay in a impartial place all through the period of the raise to keep away from damage.

Bar Strays From Physique

Throughout a deadlift, you wish to maintain the barbell near your physique—so shut, the truth is, that many coaches cue athletes to brush their shins with the bar. If the bar strays too far out of your physique, you threat straining a muscle because of poor type. 

Partial Hip Extension

If you do a deadlift, your hips ought to totally lengthen on the prime. A typical cue for that is to “squeeze your glutes.” Whereas a partial hip extension received’t essentially damage you, you received’t get the total advantage of the motion. 

Muscle-Up Errors

Oh, muscle-ups. Coming into muscle-up territory means getting into a world of potential errors, merely due to the complexity and issue of this train. That stated, listed below are the commonest muscle-up errors. 

“Rooster Wing”

Intermediate athletes who can considerably carry out muscle-ups usually do the “hen wing.” This occurs when one arm flips earlier than the opposite, giving the dominant arm the looks of a hen flapping its wing. This error can result in defective motion patterns and, at worst, damage.

Weak Hip Drive

The hip drive is the power that sends your physique hovering up and over the bar or rings in a muscle-up. If in case you have a weak hip drive, you received’t achieve practically sufficient momentum to propel your self upward. 

Squat Clear Errors

Listed here are a few of the most typical squat clear errors:

Knees Cave In

If you catch the barbell within the squat place, actively push your knees out so that they monitor together with your toes and don’t collapse inward.  

Torso Falls Ahead

Within the backside of the squat, it’s frequent for the torso to fall ahead and the elbows to break down. This usually ends in failure to face up with the bar or, in a worst-case state of affairs (normally with very heavy weights), straining the decrease again. 

Partial Hip Extension

If you get up after efficiently receiving the barbell, make sure that to face up all the way in which. With out totally extending your hips, you technically didn’t full the rep. 

Handstand Push-Up Errors

Like muscle-ups, handstand push-ups include a staggering variety of potential errors. That is an inherently harmful motion, so take additional care to keep away from these prime two most typical handstand push-up errors. 

Crashing Down

When you get drained, your handstand push-ups would possibly turn out to be sloppy. You would possibly lose energy in your arms and, as a substitute of gently decreasing your head again to the bottom, come crashing down and ram your head into the ground beneath you. Though it’s best to have a mat, it’s most likely fairly clear that this isn’t good in your neck or backbone.

Again Hyperextension

Many athletes over-extend their spines when performing handstand push-ups. This train requires a really robust, secure core, and with out that, you’ll find yourself with an extreme lumbar curve, which might put an excessive amount of strain in your backbone and result in ache or damage.

Modifications and Variations

If the King Kong WOD as-written would not fit your present health degree, it is best to change.

Deadlift Modifications

The first option to modify any barbell motion is to cut back the load. The deadlift weight for the King Kong WOD is extraordinarily heavy. The vast majority of CrossFitters can’t raise the prescribed weight one time, not to mention thrice. For those who can’t deadlift the load with good type, it’s best to scale it all the way down to an applicable weight. 

A second modification choice for deadlifts is dumbbell deadlifts, slightly than barbell deadlifts. Dumbbell deadlifts are a fantastic modification for anybody who experiences restricted mobility throughout the deadlift. Utilizing dumbbells could make the motion a bit of extra fluid and assist athletes with a low vary of movement carry out the motion with out faults. 

Muscle-Up Modifications

Muscle-ups, as talked about, are one of many hardest CrossFit actions; normally, solely probably the most superior, competition-level CrossFit athletes can carry out them effectively. For those who can’t do muscle-ups, don’t fear! There are many modifications you possibly can select from to get the identical train stimulus. 

Leaping Muscle-Ups

This modification may help you get acquainted with the muscle-up motion sample. To carry out leaping muscle-ups, place a field beneath the pull-up rig. Dangle from the bar together with your toes on the field, and soar to drag your self up and over the bar.

Flooring Muscle-Ups

With low gymnastics rings, observe the muscle-up motion sample whereas staying grounded. This modification helps develop energy and stability earlier than progressing to the excessive rings. 

Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups

Many CrossFit coaches prescribe chest-to-bar pull-ups as a development to muscle-ups. The purpose is to drag your sternum to the pull-up bar, slightly than the standard commonplace of pulling your chin above the bar. Chest-to-bar pull-ups positively current an extra problem and may help you progress to muscle-ups.

Strict Pull-Ups

Lastly, if not one of the above are accessible to you but, you possibly can merely carry out common pull-ups. Strict (commonplace) pull-ups will assist you to develop the again, arm, shoulder, and core energy wanted for muscle-ups. For those who can’t do strict pull-ups, use a resistance band to assist your physique weight. 

Squat Clear Modifications

As a result of squat cleans are a weighted motion, step one it’s best to take is decreasing the load. If for any purpose you possibly can’t carry out full squat cleans, you have got a number of scaling choices. 

Energy Cleans

For some, the squat portion presents the problem. For those who can’t squat because of an damage or different situation, carry out common energy cleans as a substitute.

Entrance Squats

For others, the clear portion presents the problem. If in case you have a shoulder, wrist, or elbow damage, it’s possible you’ll not be capable of full a squat clear, by which case you’d rack the barbell and carry out entrance squats from the rack.

Dumbbell Squat Cleans

For those who’re uncomfortable with a barbell for any purpose, attempt utilizing dumbbells as a substitute.

Handstand Push-Up Modifications

Handstand push-ups are an in depth second to muscle-ups for the “hardest CrossFit motion” class. Newbies and a few intermediate athletes ought to modify this train to keep away from damage. Beneath are a number of modification concepts, however your finest wager is to work with a coach to seek out out which scaling choice is finest for you.

Pike Handstand Push-Ups

This modification includes inserting your toes on a field or bench and arms on the bottom. You’ll be in a pike place, utilizing the field as assist. When you’re in place, bend your arms to decrease your head to the bottom and press again up. It is a good choice for athletes who’re near getting their first handstand push-up, because it trains the identical motion sample and develops strict energy. 

Common Push-Ups

Commonplace push-ups prepare an analogous, however not the identical, motion sample as handstand push-ups. You’ll nonetheless develop the higher physique and core energy vital for handstand push-ups.

Barbell Overhead Press

The barbell shoulder press may help you construct energy in your core, shoulders, and higher again, all of that are stipulations for handstand push-ups.

Dumbbell Overhead Press

Lastly, dumbbell overhead presses provide an overhead urgent motion for individuals with restricted mobility who wrestle with the barbell overhead press.

Security and Precautions

Earlier than all exercises, take some precautions to make sure your security and the protection of others round you, if you happen to’re figuring out in a health club. 

The very first thing it’s best to do, whether or not you’re figuring out alone or with others, is ensure you have sufficient room to carry out the entire actions. You’ll want room in your barbell, wall house for the handstand push-ups, and gymnastics rings with sufficient room to swing about. 

You must also make sure that to take some private precautions to maintain your self robust and protected, comparable to consuming and ingesting water earlier than the WOD, warming up, carrying correct footwear and garments, and modifying the actions as wanted based mostly in your talents. 

CrossFit "Woman" Karen WOD