A controlled blizzard of pulling for the back and biceps—layering strength sets with movement variety and grip work. Builds the back to weather any arctic storm.
Warm-Up
5 min row Then, 2 rounds:
- 15 banded straight-arm pull-downs
- 10 banded face pulls
- 20 jumping jacks
Strength or Skill
Lat Pulldown (wide, moderate)
- 4x8 Barbell Bent-over Row
- 4x8 @ RPE 7 Alternating Dumbbell Hammer Curl
- 3x12
Metcon
14 min AMRAP:
- 10 Inverted Barbell Rows (rack set low; scale to feet flat/closer to vertical)
- 12 Kettlebell Swings (focus hip power)
- 16 Russian Twists (bodyweight or with light DB)
- 100m Ski Erg or 150m Row, sub 20 cal bike
Scaling: Band-assisted rows, lighter KB, reduce row distance. Harder: Feet elevated rows, heavier KB, strict tempo.
Cool-Down
- Thread-the-needle stretch, 45 sec/side
- Banded overhead lat stretch, 60 sec/side
- Seated forward fold, 90 sec
Core / Optional Finisher
Accumulate 45-60 sec dead hang from pull-up bar (several sets as needed)
Coaching Notes
Hold a pause at contraction on all pulling movements. Challenge grip in Metcon but maintain pace.
Week-over-Week Progression
- Week 1: 4x8 pulldown/row; Metcon 14 min
- Week 2: 4x8 pulldown, 5x8 rows; increase KB weight
- Week 3: 4x8 pulldown, 4x8 rows @ RPE 7.5
- Week 4: 3x10 pulldown, 3x8 rows @ RPE 6