Figured I'd post this before anyone (who can't read Lynne's FAQ) asks:

Rope Climb Substitute? Towel pullups is the consensus best substitute. For more realism, alternate one hand high, one hand low on the towel. Some folks do towel pulldowns, as well. Standard rope length is 15', and standard substitution is 15 towel pulls.

Nice preemptive strike Rob.

ok rob heres another one. are the db deadlifts 70 lbs. in each hand? i think that is correct, but thought i'd be a bother anyway.

2 rounds and 10 towel pullups

Seems I did not understand the deadlift correctly (used 32.5kg sandbag). The towel pullups (3 x 15 per round) totally killed my grip - I must add these to my warm up.

I work at a hospital 3 days a week, if my workout falls on those days should I move my workout to the following day?(I work 12 hr shifts, and my gym is closed by the time I get off) or should I call it a rest day? Im new to cross fit, I dont want to mess up, because I love these workouts, and Im getting in better shape!

William,
These workouts are but one example of CrossFit. Working out 3 on 1 off is a very effective way of training. The sequence of the WODs is a mysterious process that broadly follows a few principles. When your schedule doesn't allow you to workout on a given day, you can either skip that workout and do the next WOD or do the previous WOD, falling a day behind and catching up on the next rest day. CrossFit is not any one workout, but rather the protocol of training a wide variety of functional movements at high intensity. If you do this, you are guaranteed to get in better shape.

used the cable pulldowns at 95# as a sub and did 30 reps.
I first started with the tricep pulldown rope. that was a little thin so I used a towl afterwards. I also alternating hands every 5 reps

4 rounds plus 10DL and 10 pulldown.

When you guys are actually climbing the rope, I would assume proper form is keeping the body as still as possible? Or can you swing, using the momentum to your advantage, like kipping almost.

3 full rounds plus 10 DL
Sub 45 towel pull ups for rope climbs

2 x 30kg dumbells
Subbed towel pull ups for rope climbs

2 full rounds plus 10DL +38 towel pull ups

Tough!!
Sub" Rope pressdown with Rope pullups
7olb db with 7 rounds @ 10 reps Last one only 8
Rope 15,12,12,10,9,7,6,total 71 reps
Time:20min

30lb Deads:
7,7,10,9
Rope pulldown 45lb @5, 35lb@15,15,15,15

Lance, when referring to dumbbells it's always the stated weight in each hand unless otherwise specified.

Steven N, the CrossFit concept places function first. Rather than thinking of a 'proper' form for pull ups with kipping as a 'cheat,' think of kipping as an alternate but perfectly valid form. Often we see people using some odd looking form to complete reps and we've learned to let them go (unless it's looking like their peculiar form is going to get them hurt). The reason is that many times proper form decreases metabolic demands, and the weird gyrations greatly increase metabolic demands without taking away from the exercises benefit. It doesn't take long for people to figure out for themselves they can get more work done and have an easier time doing it if they do it efficiently.

If you were in a burning building and needed to climb a rope to escape to a higher floor, you wouldn't think much about how you got up that rope. So again, unless otherwise stated, getting up the rope is what we're after.

4 full rounds + 10 deadlifts and 3 more pullups.

Subbed the Rope pull ups for the rope climb. Only did 15 for each round. Not "FUN"

6 full rounds. Sub'd 15 towel pullups for the rope climbs. Used jumpstretch band for assist on the towel pullups.

Grip? What grip?!?!

15 Pullups shy of 4 rounds....I did ring PU or rockwall PUs...therefore ~165PUs

OH squats, all butt to floor depth:

65/85x4
150/115/115/115x3 - feeling solid today

WOD: 5 rounds + 2 deadlifts in 20 minutes

2 70# dumbbells for deadlifts, dbs resting on floor for each rep. Rope climbs as prescribed, hands only from a sitting position on floor. Don't think my grip or elbows could have taken another round.

3x5/5 10# cb sheild casts
3x5/5 15# double hand cb parry casts

Subbed 15 towel pullups. High, Low grip.

70 lb each hand stiff leg deadlifts.

7 rounds.

First time doing towel pullups. They are great ; )

Day 2 of a 2 day cycle(for me):

OHS - 35 (pds) X 5 (reps) x 3(sets)
OHS - 40x5x1
FRONT SQUATS - 60x5x3
BACK SQUATS - 95x5x1
SNATCH PULL - 40x5x1
HANG SNATCH - 45X5X1
SNATCH- 45X5X1
RDLs- 85X6X2

Feeling fried-see if I can squeeze in a modified CF WOD in the evening.

btw:

Height=5'0
Bodyweight=95 pds

G'day All!

2 rounds.

subbed 15 towel pull-ups per rope climb and 50# dumbbells.

This was harder than it sounded.

Had to change it up today, as I am without a gym for yet another week.

-5k Run (warmup, untimed)
-Fran 21-15-9 (95 lb. thrusters; pullups) = 7:34
-300 pushups/situps

Did 5 rounds of the following alternative in 20 minutes:
10 deadlifts @ 135#
400 meter run
10 knees-to-chest (couldn't hit elbows after tightening up my lower back)

Leanne did 20 deadlifts and the 400 per round (5 rounds also).

3 rounds
15 sheet pullups for rope climb
60 lb. dumbbells
and 5 final sheet pullups
500 meter row cooldown
Can someone please describe more completely how to set up the towel and exactly how to do the actual exercise ie how many times you go hand over hand etc.?

cf warmup x 3
4 full rds.
dl 40lb dbs 5 x 12
beginning rope climbs from ground to full arm extension plus 3 rope pullups each rd. 6 times each rd.

6 rounds. Subd rope pulldowns using 40# and DLs were with 2x30# dbs. Failure here was not muscular but grip. I had a really hard time with grip and had to keep breaking the sets to let my grip recover. I can't recall that happening with a WOD before. Usual CF warmup with pushups and cooldown 3x10 Vups, 1 min hollow rock and 3 handstand holds (50 sec was longest).

the towel pull-ups ruined my grip as well . . . made the dead lifts difficult. Question: what is the cf warm-up? Thanks. A

6 Rounds even, and I actually didn't puss out. I subbed ceiling touches for the rope climbs, 5 per climb, so 15 per round. I think that movement is actually closer to a real rope climb, which isn't really a full pullup, so much as a quick movement, started with both hands, but supported in the middle by only one hand. This is also a good sub for me as I am unable to do more than 1-2 towel pullups.

This was a grip grinder.

3 rounds + DLs + 20 towel pullups

Subbed 45 towel pullups per round for the rope climb.

This workout fried my grip beyond belief. After the first round of pullups, they became assisted.

Looking for someone who uses or has used the crossfit team workouts with police or fire recruits. Have a few Questions!

70 lb deadlift x 10 reps
Sub'd 45 towel pullups for 3 - 15 foot rope climbs.

Completed 2 rounds + 10 deadlifts and 14 towel pullups in the third round.

That was 70 lb. dbl. deadlifts for 10 reps not 70 lb deadlifts.

sub'd 30 "towel" pullups for 3 15' rope climb.

3 rounds!

grip on towel kept slipping. mixed in regular pullups to keep it moving. started wrapping the towel around my wrist and used just about every grip for pullups. AGH!

7 rounds...subbed 45 towel pulldowns per round...still working on my first pullup

5 1/2 rounds
Subbed 5 trips up and down my short rope and used 185 barbell for deadlifts. Rope climbs not really equivelent to 3 trips up and down a 15 ft rope but my grip was fried either way. Warmed up with a bunch of 95 lb power snatches, overhead squats, 135lb cleans, front squats and snatches while trying to focus on some of the things in Dan John's book.

focused on OHS and other stuff today.
OHS 5x95/5x135/12x165/2x185/1x205
snatch 3x95/4x2x135
back squat 5x3x225
plyo-pullups 8/8/6/10 (pull, release & switch grip above bar)
bench press 27x135 + 3x135 (shooting for 30)
BW = 166#
still a few short on the OHS challenge...
i'll try to hit this wod tomorrow.

I did 10 70 lb. dumbbell deadlifts and 45 pull-ups each round, with as many of the pull-ups towel pull-ups as possible (about a third to a fifth). Anyway, I did 2 rounds + 10 deadlifts + 22 pull-ups in 20 minutes.

2 Rounds + 10DL & 15 towel pulls.
Subbed the rope climbs for 1 towel pull = 1ft. My grip and hands were destroyed after this one.
Finished off with some C&J's.

Aaron - CF warmup is 3 rounds of 10-15 each of: sampson stretch, OH squats, situps, pullups, dips and back extensions. I add pushups because I really need to work on them more.

Fifteen towell pull-ups are much harder than climbing fifteen feet of rope. Climbing fifteen feet of rope means starting at around the six foot level, so there is only nine or so feet of rope to climb up. Also, if you use your feet on the rope, it is much easer to pull up. Most people take about five or six sets of pulls to get to the top of the fifteen foot rope. This is easier than fifteen towell pull-ups. A better substitute might be hanging a shorter piece of knotted rock climbing rope from a pull-up bar and doing pull-ups while grabbing onto this. You can use your feet, if you like and your hands will be in a staggered grip.

140# BB DL
45 towel pull-ups/round

4 rounds + 10 DL & 38 towel pull-ups

Wife:
100# BB DL
45 Jumping towel pull-ups/round

7 rds + 1 DL

Max. rounds in 20min. of:
70lb. DB (x2) DLs X 10
45 Towel Pullups (sub for 15' X 3 rope climbs)...dead hang, full extension.

2 full rounds plus 10DLs and 40 Towel Pullups.

This was a grind, but I was not going to slack on the pullups...I just became insanely determined (not only to finish, but to install a rope at my apartment).

sub'd 45 towel PUs per round - broke them up into sets of 5, switching hand grip each set.

5 PUs shy of 3 rounds - grip was destroyed.

Thanks!

50# dumbell DL - 6 rounds
6 times up the rope
6 sets of 10 pull-ups

Had to do DL at gym than transistion to track for rope climb.

Subbed 30 towel pullups, alternating high hand after every 5, for the 3 rope climbs per round.

4 rounds exactly

fried grip

Mike Donnelly

bummer...I must have been at the most crowded gym in the city this afternoon....a line to do PULLUPS for gods sake...
I just alternated 85pd dumbell deads (those felt good compared to barbells...whole bady seemed to be involved more.I DO hold the bells to the side)
Alternated with whatever pull was good to go upright db rows, bent over, towel if bar was available etc.
5 rounds

2 mile run ..warm-up
2x 70# dumbbell deadlift for 10 reps
15 towel pull-ups/ regular pull-ups
6 full-sets
in addition another set of deadlifts 10 reps
3 towel pull-ups

I misread the directions and did only 15 pull-ups instead of 3 sets of 15 towel-pull-ups per set.

5 rounds
95 lbs. Barbell
5 pullups
3 x 5 Capt. of Crush(100lbs. Trainer)

i was pressed for time but i got 2 complete rounds in 12:30 (subd 45 rock climber pullups/round). then i did two extra rounds of DL separated by 10 more rock climber pullups for a total workout time of 16:17. im w/ you, Matt, i need a climbing rope...those pullups really slowed me down.

Started out with CF warmup and some good stretching.

Got interupted after first round so started time over and subtracted time of second round from 20:00.

Subbed 45 towel pullups per round for rope climb. Tried to twist the towel and then wrap the two ends around each other to simulate the rope. Worked good the first round but then it started spinning me around. Made for a pretty funny sight, I'm sure.

Got 2 rounds + DLs + 15 pullups, finished 2rd rnd in 23:31

Finished up with some haneous ab work.

this sucked...
these towel pullups are killing me.

1 + 1 set of DLs and 2 sets of pullups

Deadlift, 45 pound dumbbells, 10 reps
Rope pulldown, 60 pounds, 45 reps

Completed 4 rounds + 10 deadlifts in 20 minutes.

Used hand over hand grip on rope, swapping hands every 5 reps.

1 Full Set + 10DL@75#DB's+15/15/5PU's(all broken into sets of 3-5 rotating rope PU's offset hands, Kimono Lapel PU's Offset hands, and Kimono Pistol Grip PU's Level hands)

Tough

On the road, I did Grace (c&j 135x30) today in my ex-wife's garage. My daughter Kaila was timing me, counting out :30, :45, :55, :00 of each minute (I was shooting for 8 reps per minute). I fell short in the 3rd minute and finished at 4:15, a PR by nearly two minutes.

MODIFIED WOD #2:

@25 mins
-5 mtn-climber grip jumping pullups
-3min-shadow-boxing
-3 min rounds x 5 of:
2:00 m heavy-bag(form)
30 secs punch-out drills(all-out)
10 quarter air-squats w/high arm swings(tension- releaser)
-10 "butchered half glute ham-raise/plyo pushup"(typing that took a lot out of me)-hook heels under bbell->knuckles push-up position-explode up while contracting hams & clapping fists
-2min shadow-boxing
-southpaw stance for above-I'm usually a "rightie"
@15 min yoga cool-down.

2x 70 lb. DBs for deadlift
subbed 30 pullups using the tri pulldown rope handle things (these have a ball on the end that I'm sure made the grip somewhat easier) for the rope climbs

3 rounds in just over 20 min.

Saw a guy doing deadlifts with a single 85 or 90 lb. DB, sumo style (both hands). Yesterday, I saw a guy doing front squats. I don't think I had ever seen anyone else doing any type of deadlift or any front squats before!

I work at a biomedical campus (bio research, dentistry, nursing, med school, etc.) and had always thought I would see all sorts of former college athletes doing exercises CrossFit uses, but that hasn't been the case at all. Maybe if our gym had a couple of platforms and more space in the free weight room? Dunno.

Okay, I tried this one but my left arm got smoked. Have some very serious tendonitis going on there. Will have to give it a rest from pulling motions for a week or so.

ME- Subbed 45 rope-draped-over-bar-pullups, alternating sides of the bar each rep... So one rep head goes to left then the next head goes to the right, you get the picture. Rope about 1" diameter. Dumbells as Rx'd.

3 full rounds plus 10 deads and 10 pullups.

Today my CF "students" (man that sounds odd) did a similar WOD that I was pretty proud of. Brandy and Michelle did as many rounds as they could muster (in 20 mins) of 10 95# DL's and five 10" cyclone fence climbs (watch out for the barbed wire!).

They were not happy about this but I was.

-D.

Tweaked my shoulder doing dips on a set of bars that were too wide and now I can't do anything with my right hand supinated.

Towel chins were out so i did

deadlift - 190lb x10 (Bodyweight 190)
Pullups - 5

8 rounds in 20 min

6 rounds completed. Used towel pull ups instead of rope climbs

10 rounds as Rxed

4 rounds plus deadlifts as prescribed.

Edit. I only did one rope climb per round so my rounds are inflated.

4 rounds, plus the DLs + 2 rope climbs. Like just about everyone else, these fried my grip.

Average climb length was probably about 10 or 12 feet, not the 15 Rx'd.

Vince,
I think the way you choose to do the rope climb will determine if it is easier or harder than pullups. The ideal for a rope climb would likely be the way it was done as a gymnastic event. Sitting start on the floor, no feet. Check out John Gill's web site under "friends of Crossfit". Rope climbing as a gymnastic event is really impressive.
Using your feet is more functional, but once learned it does make rope climbing pretty easy

5 rounds
17' rope
75#dbs
20:00

3 rounds + DL + 6 PU

subbed 45 pull-ups for rope climb...used any grip that would allow me to pull (unassisted)

1st Crossfit WOD - 3 sets, sub. 15 towel pullups for rope climb. Totally fried my grip...tough stuff!

2 full rounds with 15 sec to spare.

Sub'd 45 towel pull-ups for rope climbs.

I also got some tendonitis going on in my right elbow. Off to the freezer to get some ice now...

I didn't get to this till today - Monday.
I had to sub 65lb d-bells because someone was using the 70s. Can you believe only 1 set?

I also subbed 9 pull-ups for each round of rope climbs.

6 rounds in 20 minutes followed by a 400m run/jog at 2:30 pace.

4 rounds

70 lbs db deadlift
15 towel pull ups sub for rope climb

Forearms and hands are screaming

Sub'd towel PUs (9 sets of 5 per round)

5 Pullups shy of 3 rounds

too many subs for me this week.

4 rounds 10 deaedlift.
I was only able to climb 10 feet so that probably helped my total greatly.

3 rds
towel pullups broken into sets of 5 reps for 1st and half of 2nd rounds, then on the bar.

60lb dumbbell deadlift
15 towel pullups = rope climb

4 full sets and 5 deadlifts

50# DB's
20 PU

5 rds. + 12 PU

I'm a little behind so I did 050317 WOD as a warm up. I had to clean for each rep, which limited the amount I couid thrust. Scores on the doors were 4 @ 62 kgs, 4 @ 72 kgs 1 @ 78 kgs (fail), 1 @ 62kgs, 1 @ 66 kgs and finally 1 @ 72 kgs -bw 72 kgs, so not very impressive, but fun none the less and it highlighted some (many!) weaknesses in my clean technique.

On to the real WOD..I had to sub towel pull ups (hideous invention, and enough to make you go out and buy a rope) for rope climbs and 24 kg dumbells instead of 31's because that the heaviest dumbell in the gym. I managed 5 rounds dead.

By the way, I take it rope climbs are always arms only and hence the towel pull ups, because when I rope climb the bulk of the load is taken by the legs and my technique makes it a breeze, with or without kit.

5 Rounds in about 14:30. Ran out of gas after cranking out a couple hundred feet elevated pushups (in several sets) before tackling the WOD. 65 pound dumbbells on the DL's and subbed 7 pullups each round. Still scaling into the WOD.

Going to try this one later today.
I have a question...I can only do maybe 5-6 towel pullups at a time.
Should I substitute towel pulldowns at such a weight that I can complete the number of reps?
Or should I just break up my towel PU sets until I get the Rx'd # of reps (but completing fewer rounds, and less total work, in the allotted 20 minutes)?

subbed 45 towel pullups for 3x15' climb.

2 + 10dl + 40towelups.

Deadlifts 70lbs x 10 for each round
1) 15 rope pullups x3(tied a rope pulldown grip to a pullup bar) This hurt like hell it took almost 7 minutes to complete this round. So I scaled it back.
2)15 rope pullups X1
3)15 x1 with even grips instead of hand-over-hand
4)same as 3
5)9 x1 then my time ran out.
the exquisite pain I felt in my hands during the pullups was the time limiting factor. My grip doesn't hurt so much as I have severe rope burn on both hands. The even grips weren't nearly so painful.

32kg deadlifts.
15 rope pulldowns, alternating grip
not sure of weight as not marked. about 40kg

5 rounds
this one really works grip and forearms

Did Sundays workout today
5 rds, 7 muscle ups, run 400 m.
subbed 12 pull-ups, 12 push-ups, 12 dips

Forgot watch, no time,
Steveo

2 rounds + 10DL + 30 pullups

Sub'd 45 towel pullups for the 3 rope climbs.

Total of 120 towel pullups; anyone needing additional grip training after that lot?

5 rounds 70# DB deadlift
45 towel pullups
plus
10 70# DB deadlifts
1st round of towel pulldowns at 120# ended at 100#
2 sets see-saw press which is an alternating side press

15 rounds of:
20 squats
15 pull-ups

9 ROUNDS+10 DLs & 5 REACHING PULL UPS,
SUBBED ROPE W/ 15 REACHING PULL UPS- HAD TO BREAK UP THE PULL UPS INTO SETS OF 5 AT A TIME NEAR THE END. -LEO