Happy Monday, workout lovers! To thank you for following my Weekly Workouts post, I’m giving away a pair of Topo Athletic shoes. If you haven’t tried Topo yet, they’re worth checking out. At first I hesitated—I tend to stick with familiar shoes—but the Topo Athletic Sante gym shoes surprised me. They tighten easily, almost like snowboard boots, and are comfortable when loosened. The toe box is roomier than traditional narrow shoes, which I find more comfortable and better looking than those slim-toed styles.
This giveaway is open to both men and women, and the winner can choose their preferred Topo shoe. The giveaway is for residents of the US and Canada only. Enter below and enjoy the photos!
Sunday – Rest Day
Planned gym session got cancelled after a late night of Halloween partying. Recovery won this round—alcohol derailed the plan, so I called it a rest day.
Monday
Back on the wagon. I’ve been practicing butterfly pull-ups and focused on them this session. After a short return to training, the reps were a bit inconsistent, but I landed several solid sets. My goal is to have them consistent before a team competition later this month.
Squat Clean & Split Jerk: 12 minutes to find a heavy double, 20 seconds between reps. I worked up to 120 lb.
Front Squats: 6 sets of 4 at 82%, 90 seconds rest — I used 95 lb.
7-minute AMRAP:
- 6 Power Cleans (185/135)
- 9 Burpees
- 12 Pull-ups
I finished 4 rounds plus 4 power cleans using 105 lb.
Tuesday
This was a favorite—any workout without heavy squats is easier for me to enjoy.
Snatch high pulls with 2-second pause at the knee: 6 x 2 at 80–90% (8 minutes).
Power snatch: 6 x 2 with 10-second reset between reps (12 minutes). I worked up to 105 lb.
4 rounds for time (12-minute cap):
- 10 handstand push-ups or 3 wall walks
- 20 kettlebell swings (70/55)
- 40 double-unders
I finished in 7:48 using a 45 lb kettlebell.
Wednesday
Great day—able to do weighted pull-ups again. Not heavy, but progress is progress.
Strict press: 3-3-3, adding weight. I reached 85 lb.
Push press: 3-3-3, adding weight. I reached 115 lb.
Between each press set perform:
- 3 weighted pull-ups (adding weight), or max-effort strict pull-ups, or 7 bent-over DB rows per side. I used a 15 lb kettlebell for strict pull-ups.
12-minute AMRAP:
- 200 m run
- 15 box overs (24/20)
- 15 back squats from the floor (135/95)
I completed 4 rounds plus 100 m at 85 lb.
Thursday
This session was brutally uncomfortable.
EMOM for 9: 3 power cleans and push jerks (225/155) or ~75% of 1RM. I used 115 lb and it was tough.
Then total ring dips or dips (kipping or strict). I did ring push-ups because dips aggravate my chest—ring push-ups are a good alternative.
Intervals for dips/pushes:
- 60 sec work / 60 sec rest
- 45 sec work / 45 sec rest
- 30 sec work / 30 sec rest
- 15 sec work / 15 sec rest
Then 21-15-9 for time:
- Deadlifts (255/175)
- Hand-release push-ups
- Toes-to-bar
I finished in 8:17 using a 125 lb deadlift.
Friday
I planned to train before leaving town but opted for rest and a visit to the dog park instead. Much more fun. Jackson needs small dog pals—big dogs aren’t interested in play.
Saturday
I dreaded this workout. Waking up to the sled push made me regret skipping Friday. Sled pushes always hit hard, especially since we only do them a couple times a year.
Partner 400 m sled push (empty).
Then solo rounds:
- 20 overhead squats (135/95)
- 400 m run
- 20 sumo deadlift high pulls (135/95)
- 400 m run
- 20 thrusters (135/95)
- 400 m run
- 20 burpees
I finished in 19:23 using 65 lb for all lifts.
Good luck with the Topo shoe giveaway and keep training. Enter to win and pick the pair that suits your needs.