Nothing says pulled hamstrings like a WOD full of deadlifts. The CrossFit Open 18.4 WOD was just that: a pulled hamstring delight. I did the scaled version.
CrossFit Open 18.4 WOD
For time:
21 deadlifts, 95 lb.
21 hand-release push-ups
15 deadlifts, 95 lb.
15 hand-release push-ups
9 deadlifts, 95 lb.
9 hand-release push-ups
21 deadlifts, 135 lb.
50-ft. bear crawl
15 deadlifts, 135 lb.
50-ft. bear crawl
9 deadlifts, 135 lb.
50-ft. bear crawlTime cap: 9 min.
I went to Clear Lake CrossFit on Thursday night to listen to the announcement and complete the WOD. This meant that I didn’t have time to strategize; I just had to jump in a heat and get through it. The first set of 21-15-9 is a modification of the benchmark Diane. (Fun fact: I have a cousin named Diane, and she’s twice as evil as the benchmark.) The second set of 21-15-9 is a modification of Dave Castro’s insanity for the RX division. I knew I would scale because:
a) My 1RM for deadlifts is 165 lbs. There was no way I could pull 155 lbs. off the ground safely multiple times.
b) The handstand pushup standard was CRAP. You can look it up if you want, but basically, the target you’d have to hit fully extended is half the length of your elbow-wrist measurement added to the top of your head measured standing against the wall. I can do HSPUs… with two abmats.
I knew this would not be fun, and I knew my hamstrings would burn after the CrossFit Open 18.4 WOD. After the announcement and ensuing swearing, I warmed up with some good mornings and light deadlifts and set up my weights. Mariel and I struggled a bit with the math. Jennifer was my judge.
At 3…2…1…GO!, I picked up the 95 lb. bar easily. I did the first 21 deadlifts unbroken, busted out the pushups, and just kept going. The trouble didn’t start until I picked up the 135 lb. bar.
You know how I titled this post “Pulled Hammies”? That’s exactly what the CrossFit Open 18.4 WOD did to me. I picked up the 135 lb. bar and lifted it twice. Then I went for a third time, and my left hamstring seized up. I think I yelled out, “I pulled a butt muscle!” I stretched, walked it off, then went back to the bar, because that’s what you do during the Open. I made it through the first set of 21 deadlifts at 135 lbs., bear walked, and made it through another three deadlifts before my nine minutes ran out.
And then I collapsed on the floor, panting. I had to single almost every one of those deadlifts. My final score was 124 reps.
The CrossFit Open 18.4 Aftermath
I kind of wanted to sit around and lick my wounds. After all, I had pulled a butt muscle! But then I came across a Facebook post I had made two years ago about my 1RM deadlift: It was 130 lbs. So, two years ago, I would not have been able to complete even one of the deadlifts after the first part of 18.4. That is progress personified.
Second, I powered through a pulled hamstring. Pulled hammies hurt, but I stretched it out and kept going.
Third, my hamstrings were sore for literally days: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Monday, my hammies finally started to feel better.