Our latest cycle, Lynne, builds off of the work we did over the past two cycles, but changes up the pushing and pulling stimulus. It consists of 5 rounds of max body weight bench press, superset with max reps of pull-ups. Compared to other CrossFit benchmarks, Lynne is focused less on metabolic intensity and more on strength-to-bodyweight ratio.
We’ll be working this benchmark by improving our 5RM bench press. The 5RM is a great mix of strength and muscular endurance, which will help with driving progress in Lynne. Expect to see push-ups and ring dips more frequently in the programming as well, as supplemental work for the chest and triceps.
In addition, we’ll improve pull-ups by building volume as well as getting practice with more challenging pull-up progressions, such as chest to bar and butterfly variations. Work your technique and form in addition to accumulating reps and you should see major benefits in your pulling power.
Bench press can be taxing on the shoulders and create issues with overuse of the anterior muscles, so we highly recommend doing the accessory work targeting the posterior shoulder and rotator cuff. In addition, putting in some time stretching and rolling through the chest, shoulders, and lats is a good idea as well.
To help balance out the benching, we are going to be working on handstand walks as part of our skill work. Although not directly transferable to “Lynne,” handstand walking and its various progressions help develop shoulder stability and mobility. Learning how to shift your weight and balance through one side will help make your shoulder more bulletproof, as well as challenging your coordination, timing, and control.
