Although CrossFit is designed to – in their words – ‘provide functional conditioning and prepare you for any physical situation’, every now and then they’ll whip up a workout that also promises a major pump-up. We think you’ll agree that this combination of factors represents the ideal sweet spot of a good gym session. So let us introduce you to Hero WOD ‘JT’.
What is CrossFit Hero WOD?
CrossFit’ HERO WODs are designed and dedicated to the men and women who give their lives in the line of duty. So to show your respect, they’re usually harder, heavier, or longer than your backyard CrossFit ‘WOD’.
Dedicated to Jeff Taylor, who tragically lost his life in Afghanistan in 2005, JT was CrossFit’s first Hero WOD. CrossFit workouts have traditionally been designed to work your entire body as a whole. However, ‘JT’ takes a slightly different approach; instead, it zooms in on your chest, shoulders, and triceps with laser precision, not only increasing your heart rate but also providing a wicked pump that’s sure to result in serious upper-body gains.
All you need to perform this workout is ‘Rx’ (CrossFit terminology – borrowed from the medical world – ‘for’as prescribed‘) is a set of gymnastic rings and a wall for handstands. It will also take you less than 15 minutes, but make no mistake about it, this may be one of the most challenging bodyweight exercises available. You will need to earn this pump.
Below is the full workout, as well as some tips on how to scale up so you can perform this WOD no matter your fitness level.
How to Perform JT
You’ll follow the infamous CrossFit rep scheme called ’21-15-9′, performing 21 reps of each of three movements in a row, then 15 reps of each, and finally 9 reps. Perform all 135 reps as quickly as possible – maintaining impeccable technique, of course – resting only as needed to keep your form sharp. If you need to drop the rings or do a handstand before finishing a set, kick out and pick up where you left off, reducing the reps before moving on to the next move.
1 x Handstand Push-Up x 21, 15, 9
Do a handstand, leaning against the wall with your hands a little more than shoulder-width apart, no more than 30 cm away from the wall. (HAVE). Bend your elbows and slowly lower your head to the floor or mat, pause here. (B), push up, keeping your feet together and your body rigid. If you can, pull your knees in toward your elbows and kick them upward explosively to gain momentum as you push off the ground. If you cannot do handstand push-ups, do push-ups with your feet up.
2. Ring Bottoms x 21, 15, 9
Support yourself on a set of gymnastic rings with your palms facing in and your arms straight (HAVE). If you’re at home, use two boxes or the backs of two sturdy chairs. Lower slowly until you feel a deep stretch in your chest (B). Explosively push yourself to the top and repeat. If you can’t do dips, do push-ups regularly.
3. Push-ups x 21, 15, 9
Get into a strong plank position with your core tight and your hands under your shoulders. (HAVE)bend your elbows to bring your chest to the floor (B). Do not allow your elbows to expand as you push upward explosively. If you’ve used push-ups instead of ring dips before, stick with the intent of the workout and do these push-ups with your hands up to reduce the difficulty a bit.
Having worked in health and fitness for almost 18 years as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breathing coach and author, Andrew has spent nearly half his life exploring how he can help people improve their bodies and minds.
As our fitness editor, he’s proud to keep Men’s Health at the forefront of trustworthy, relatable, and trustworthy fitness information, writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, diving deep into the science behind muscle building and fat loss, or exploring workouts. performance and recovery psychology.
Constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is as much in love with practice as theory and regularly puts his training to the test, tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions to ultra-marathons to 24-hour multi-workout programs. (very unofficial) world record attempts.
You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey or hold up the ‘free pizza’ sign and wait for him to appear.
