Why We Love Partner WODs at the Cove
PARTNER WODS!
Those of you who have been with us for a while understand our tradition of Partner WODs and look forward to it like a weekly little gift. For those of you new to the Cove, we want to encourage you to make this a ‘must attend’ workout as it’s one of our most favorite times of the week (and often evolves into impromptu happy hours afterwards).
Each Friday we program a partner-style workout. Not only is a great way to meet new members (or a way to make a fitness date with a friend or special someone), they add a whole new level of accountability and strategy.
On the accountability side, we do NOT mean that you need to do the same level (weights or volume). The last thing we want is for someone to feel like they ‘have to’ do ANYTHING they are not comfortable with. Just because you are in pairs, does not mean you need to be doing the same thing! FX can pair with RX+ and newbies can pair with veterans (and we highly recommend mixing things up like that!), but we do mean that you should uphold high quality of movement standards and maybe… just maybe… you’ll push that extra 5% because you have someone right in front of you cheering each other on.
Then there’s strategy! Talk to your partner and find out how they plan to attack it (maybe you’ll learn a tip?) and if you need a bigger rest, tell your partner to slow it down. Yep, we’ve all said “take your time” to a partner at one point or another! You’re a team and it’s not just about the numbers you put up, it’s how you work as a team to get there!
For those of you new to this, this should be FUN, not scary. We heard early on from people that they were intimidated to come on Fridays because a) they didn’t know anyone to partner with and b) they didn’t want to ‘hold anyone back’. STOP thinking that way! We are part of this community because we are all stronger together. Partner WODs embody that philosophy… and if you are new, they are some of the BEST ways to meet new people!
And there’s any piece of you that thinks you will prevent someone from getting in their best workout or (and we’ve seen this) someone apologizing to their teammate for being slow or going light… we need to smack you upside the head!! In fact, Coach Mike wrote a brilliant blog entry a while back about what its like to fear Partner WODs and it is a MUST READ!!
PARTNER WOD
10 Rounds Between 2 Athletes
12 Deadlifts
9 Hanging Cleans
6 Front Squats
FX (Fitness): 95/65
RX (Performance): 135/95
RX+ (Open): 155/105 (Clean can be squat or power)
Coach’s Tip: 1o rounds total means 5 5ounds for each partner. It’s designed to do “relay style”. One partner completes a full round then switch. Just like “DT”, the deadlifts will feel light and the Cleans/Front Squats should be heavy. You are meant to move quickly, however, so anything more than two sets (ideally one set) means your barbell is too heavy!
Robert N. can do it all. Dad. Teacher. One of the nicest guys we know. All that AND knows how to rock a set up for a clean!
