​

Hey Reader,

I hope your week is off to an awesome start!

This week, I wanted to dive into a classic CrossFit Hero WOD - "DT"

If you are familiar with DT, you know how fun and challenging it can be.

All you need is a barbell and some plates to complete the workout,

However, there are some key aspects to consider if you want to achieve your best time possible.

I have done DT over ten times in my CrossFit journey and have learned what is needed to optimize your performance for this WOD.

This deep dive will outline the movement, pacing, and nutrition considerations to consider next time you hit DT to set a new personal best or crush it on your first try.

Deep Dive

How To Crush The CrossFit DT Workout: Tips & Strategy

The DT workout is named in honor of U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Timothy P. Davis, who was killed in action on February 20, 2009, supporting operations in Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

Davis was a highly respected and decorated service member, and the workout is a tribute to his dedication, strength, and service.

What Is The CrossFit DT Workout?

The DT CrossFit WOD consists of the following:

5 Rounds For Time

12 Deadlifts 155/105 lb

9 Hang Cleans 155/105 lb

6 Push Jerks 155/105 lb

At 3-2-1 go, you'll assume the barbell and begin working your way through the workout's 135 repetitions.

DT is particularly challenging because there is no place to "hide" during this workout.

You are (ideally) in one spot on the gym floor, and to make ground in the workout, you must complete repetitions.

Unlike some workouts where you can recover on a run, row, bike, etc.

Warming-Up For DT

A proper warm-up is key to getting joints moving well, muscles firing, and enhancing focus, which can lead to the best DT score.

Follow this warm-up sequence to get your best score yet.

Cyclical Modality

Start with a general warm-up to get your heart rate up and increase blood flow to your muscles. Choose a cyclical modality like:

3-5 minutes of light cardio: This could be rowing, assault bike, running, or jumping rope. The goal is to elevate your heart rate and prepare your body for more intense activity.

Mobility Drills for Posterior Chain, Shoulders, and Wrists

Focus on mobilizing the key areas that will be heavily used during the workout:

Posterior Chain (Hamstrings, Glutes, Lower Back):

• Boot Strappers: Stand and reach for your toes, squat down and raise your hips repeatedly, 10 repetitions
• Kettlebell RDLs: Perform 10-15 reps to activate your glutes.
• Cat-Cow Stretch: Perform 10 reps to mobilize your lower back.

Shoulders:

• Overhead Banded Distraction: Using a band overhead, perform :30 per arm.
• PVC External Rotation: Using a PVC pipe, perform :30 per arm.
• Scapular Wall Slides: Perform 10-15 reps to engage your shoulder stabilizers.

Wrists:

• Wrist Circles: Perform 10 reps in each direction.
• Wrist Flexor Stretch: Hold for 20-30 seconds on each side.
• Wrist Extensor Stretch: Hold for 20-30 seconds on each side.

Build-Up Sets on the Barbell

Gradually work up to your working weight with progressively heavier sets. This helps to prepare your muscles and nervous system for the workload ahead.

Empty Barbell Warm-Up:

1. 10 Deadlifts
2. 8 Hang Power Cleans
3. 5 Push Jerks

*Add weight over 2-3 sets before getting to your working weight.

Key Tips For The CrossFit DT Workout

This workout should be fast and furious, and how you approach it will make all the difference.

I have done this workout several times and have experienced what it feels like to "wing it" and crash and burn in the process.

For example, the first time I did DT, I got 20+ minutes - not good.

But when I redid it with the following strategies, I completed it in ~8 minutes.

Considering the following points for the movements and pacing, you can put yourself in a great position to set a new personal best or achieve a great score on your first try.

Movement Breakdown

Deadlifts

Ironically, the deadlifts will be the easiest part of this workout. Since you will be going touch and go, you can keep your hips slightly higher than normal.

This way, you are not moving around your knees each rep and wasting valuable time.

Hang Power Cleans

In my experience, the hang cleans are the crux of this workout since they require more reps than the push jerk, and you'll typically have a stronger deadlift than a hang power clean.

To best manage this movement, I would definitely use a hook grip to eliminate your forearm endurance from the equation.

Minimize a full front rack position unless needed.

Assuming a full front rack position will slow you down, and all that is needed is for the elbows to cross the plane of the barbell.

If you can, I would also use a touch-and-go technique to keep the torso upright and preserve the endurance of your backside.

Push Jerks

The push jerks are the home stretch of each round and can be tough if your breathing and shoulders are fatigued.

With each rep, aim for a vertical torso and a quarter squat position so that every ounce of leg power goes into the barbell in a straight line.

Also, think about dropping under the barbell versus trying to press it up to preserve shoulder endurance.

Pacing Strategies

Your muscle endurance will likely be the limiter in this workout, so it's key to know when to place the barbell down strategically.

This will change based on how light the load is for you, but this will apply to the average CrossFit athlete.

Drop The Barbell Before The Cleans

Dropping the barbell on deadlift rep eleven is key for a few reasons.

The first is that it will give your grip a break after eleven deadlifts before moving on to the hang clean, which has a grip component.

Second is to get into the clean position, you will have to deadlift the barbell to the hang position.

So, a strategic drop here avoids unnecessary deadlift reps during the cleans to rest your grip.

Don't Drop Between The Cleans and Push Jerk

This may sound easier said than done, but dropping between the cleans and push-jerks will hurt your score.

Every time you do so, you will have to perform an additional deadlift and hang clean to get back to the push-jerk position.

Over the course of five rounds, this can add quite a bit of time and extra reps.

If necessary, it would be better to break up the deadlifts and push through on the cleans and push jerks.

Maintain Breath Between Repetitions

This fast-paced workout will generate a lot of lactic acid in your muscles.

Holding your breath as you lift is a recipe for gassing out and reaching muscle failure.

Thus, breathing is critical to expelling carbon dioxide and controlling your respiration rate.

You should allow your breath to increase to help bring in more oxygen to the working muscles but at a consistent pace.

Try to exhale as you perform the rep and inhale between reps.

Scaling The CrossFit DT Workout

Now that you understand the keys to getting your best score, we can discuss the proper scaling of DT if needed.

Given that DT is a hero WOD,, it is unnecessary to scale the workout up unless you can go unbroken on all the movements and do so quickly.

Thus, below are ways to scale it down based on your needs to maintain the intended stimulus.

Decrease The Weight

This is the simplest way to scale the DT WOD and is the one that will suit most people.

The push jerk and cleans will typically be why you must scale the weight down since you may not have one rep max beyond 155/105 lbs.

If the Rx weights are higher than 70% of your one-rep max, you should probably scale the weight down.

If you don't, it will turn into a strength grinder, and you'll be staring at the barbell for a while.

Decrease The Repetitions

Another simple way to reduce the challenge of the DT workout is to do fewer repetitions per movement per round.

As mentioned above, muscle endurance will be a key limiter in this workout, so dropping the repetitions you need to do can make the movements more manageable.

I would start by dropping the deadlifts by 3's, the cleans by 2's, and the push jerks by 1's as needed.

Decrease The Rounds

Although most people can get away with simply lowering the weight being used to preserve the stimulus, dropping the volume is a decent strategy as well.

The 135 reps can be a lot for someone just getting into CrossFit or who may be deconditioned.

If you have the strength to move the load but lack the conditioning to finish the workout in a timely manner, dropping the number of rounds is a good idea.

I'd start by dropping one round at a time, but no more than two rounds, before adjusting the weight or reps per round.

How Long Should The DT WOD Take?

The CrossFit DT workout should be relatively quicker. It can be tempting to use the Rx weights and hammer through repetitions, but that will take away from the stimulus of the workout.

Below are general times to shoot for based on your fitness level.

Beginner: ~10 minutes

Intermediate: 7-8 minutes

Advanced: 5-6 minutes

Elite: < 5 minutes

Nutrition Before Hitting the DT WOD

Your pre-workout nutrition can make or break your score, so consider these points before hitting the gym.

Pre-Workout Meal

Carbohydrate-Rich Meal: Consume a meal rich in carbohydrates at least 60 minutes before the workout to ensure you have ample energy.

Hydration

30 Minutes Prior: Drink 8-12 ounces of water to hydrate.

30+ Minutes Prior: consume consistent liquids throughout the day.

Optional Supplements

Beta Alanine: Can help buffer lactic acid buildup, enhancing endurance.

Creatine Monohydrate: Supports ATP production for improved strength and power output.

Beet Root Juice: This may enhance blood flow and improve exercise efficiency through its nitrate content.

Final Thoughts on The CrossFit DT Workout

Now that you've learned the strategies and tips for crushing the DT CrossFit workout, it's time to put them into action.

DT is a great workout and will challenge you physically and mentally.

Remember, preparation and pacing are key to optimizing your performance during the workout and setting a new personal best.

If you have questions about this week's deep dive or want a topic covered, reply to this email and let me know!

Read more about how to improve other CrossFit benchmark workouts (LINK)

This Week's Training

Day 1 - 7/1/2024 A) Neutral Grip Pull-Up - 20X1; 3 x 6; rest 2’ B1) Push-Press - 20X1; 3 x 6; rest 1’ B2) Single Arm Kettlebell Row - 20X1; 3 x 8e; rest 1’ B3) Bilateral Band Shoulder External Rotation - 2010; 3 x 15 rest 1’ C) MAP 7 Mixed Aerobic Work For Time: 10-minute AMRAP 200 Meter Row 15/12 Calorie Assault Bike 200 Meter Run 50 Double Unders (or 100 single unders) View Training Week

This week's Blog Post

Front vs Back Squat: Key Differences and Which is Better? This article will help you understand when (or if) you should pick one over the other. We will cover the strength targets to aim for and explore the nuances that make each squat variation beneficial for you as a CrossFit athlete. Read now

Let Me Know How I Did!

Before you go, here's how I can help you

1:1 Pain-Free Performance Program

Designed to help you eliminate joint pain and elevate your CrossFit performance in less than 12 weeks without overhauling your training or missing time in the gym for rehab.

Schedule your free consultation. ​(LINK​).

Bulletproof Training Program

Designed to help you elevate your CrossFit performance while building resiliency to feel great in the gym through a general goal-based program design.

Try my Bulletproof Training Program today. (LINK)

15% Off Over 3000+ Supplements

Save up to 15% on over 3000+ supplements from FullScript. A research-based supplement dispensary with hand-picked supplement protocols based on your goals.

Join my practitioner dispensary (FREE). (LINK)

Talk to you soon, Reader

Dr. Will Murtagh, PT, DPT, MS, CSCS, CISSN Physical Therapist | Remote Fitness Coach