David Ledoux

I love training on Saturday mornings! The energy is electric. One half of the gym is doing a 1-10 deadlifts and burpee over bar. The other half is doing wallballs, box jumps and 200 m runs. And me? You'll find me and my Hyrox Doubles partner Vaughn outside on the sidewalk. We set up the 10 meters of turf and the sled. We warmed up our sled push to 328 lbs. We warmed up our sled pulls to 230 lbs. We practiced some burpee broad jumps. We did a fun little simulation. Run 400 meters, then partner A did a 10 m sled push with 230, and partner B pulled it back. Do that twice. Run again. Then alternate the pusher and puller. 4 rounds in total. Work got done. Had fun, got sweaty, high-fived my friends. Time to eat some tacos. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Sometimes a workout just tastes like a big bag of burning dog poo. Let me explain. Running? Gimme gimme! Sprints, 400 repeats, fast miles, running with a sandbag, love all of it. Rowing, burpees, gymnastics, a single dumbbell or kettlebell, great! But when a barbell enters my world, harsh reality sets in. Today I got to work on my primary weakness: barbell cycling under extreme duress. I did 8 cals on the rower. 8 hang power snatches with 55 lbs. 8 burpee broad jumps. And 8 overhead squats with 55. Rest 90 seconds. 3 rounds. Then add weight. Do 8 cals rowing. 8 power cleans with 105 lbs. 60 meter sprint. 8 front squats with 105. Rest 90 seconds. 3 rounds. I lay on the floor, staring up at the ceiling, flames rising off my body. No one in the gym cared. They were all encased in their own invisible bubble of struggle. My internal alarms were flashing DANGER! Red Zone! Heart rate at 95% of max. Breathing like a garbage truck on fish day. The limiting factor is not weight. It's extreme discomfort. Days like today are special. Most people will never experience this feeling accidentally, let alone on purpose. The good news? Tolerance for discomfort can be increased through deliberate practice. #fitness

BREAKTHROUGH! Remember how my max sled push was only 275 lbs on Monday? On Wednesday I went to my chiro Doctor Danny for a tune-up. Ultrasound on my shoulder, work on my neck and hips, and I showed up today ready for battle. I started with a fun little complex of 1 squat clean, 1 front squat and a split jerk with a 2 second pause in the dip. Working every 90 seconds I did 65-75-95-115-125-135. Then I practiced burpee broad jumps on the 10 meter turf. There's a lot of subtle techniques with hand placement. This is a skill that requires lots of deliberate repetition. I got the rope attached to the sled and did a 10 meter push then a 10 meter pull then rested 60 seconds. The weight started at 45 and went 90-135-180-225-270-305-340. I could both push and pull that weight. Today the magic came from feet placement on the sled push. A 2-foot start makes a huge difference over a 1-foot push off. I finished with a little burner of 400 m run, 40 ski pulls, 400 m run, 40 ski pulls, 400 m run, 400 m row, 200 m run. CrossFit Open in 49 days. Hyrox Cancun in 63 days. #fitness Happy. Tired. Hungry. I think it's time for 4 tacos and a siesta.