Newsletter #11

Peak Project CrossFit — Newsletter Edition #11 (Squarespace)
Edition #11 (Squarespace)
Week of 20–26 July 2026
Winter Warriors
Week Three
Programming  ·  Recovery  ·  Nutrition  ·  What's On  ·  Home WOD
Your weekly dose from the coaches July 2026

Hey Peak Project family,

Week 3 of Winter Warriors — halfway through the challenge. This is where the habit either holds or slips, so keep showing up.

This week's programming bookends with two pain cave days — Wednesday's "The End" and Saturday's "Muscle Pig" — with a heavy pulling day on Thursday sitting right between them. Monday is "Elizabeth," power cleans and ring dips for a fast sprint. Tuesday is a midline and overhead stamina grind. Friday is a steady 20-minute AMRAP, and Friday evening is the Christmas in July Lift Off — the only Friday PM class this week, replacing the regular evening session. Sunday closes the week with a partner row, double-under and run effort.

— The Peak Project Coaches

Programming

Pain Cave
Bookends

Monday opens with "Elizabeth" — power cleans and ring dips, 21-15-9, a full-send sprint, then a post-workout set of heavier singles to reinforce the clean. Tuesday shifts into a grind: GHDs, handstand walking and overhead lunging, more about controlling fatigue than racing the clock. Wednesday is "The End," a Games throwback seven-movement chipper across three windows — this is where the week can get away from you if you sprint the first window. Thursday pairs a heavy deadlift strength piece with lateral burpees over the bar, a classic couplet that rewards composure under load. Friday is steady — a 20-minute AMRAP of running and overhead squats — and Friday evening the gym swaps its usual PM class for the Christmas in July Lift Off. Saturday closes with "Muscle Pig," bar muscle-ups and power cleans, short and brutal. Sunday is a partner row, double-under and run effort to finish the week as a team.

Wednesday and Thursday — Don't Cook Your Saturday Two pain cave days sit either side of a heavy pull this week. Bank steady reps in "The End's" first two windows rather than sprinting the 3:00 — the 12:00 is where the workout is actually won or lost. Same story Thursday: keep the deadlifts smooth and controlled, not a grinding 5RM. Show up to Saturday's muscle-ups with something left in the tank.
Mon 20
Elizabeth
21-15-9 For Time
Power Clean / Ring Dip
Tue 21
Midline March
3 Rounds For Time
GHD / HS Walk / OH Lunge
Wed 22
The End
3/6/12 AMRAP
7-Movement Chipper
Thu 23
CFG 8.4 Heavy
5 RFT + Strength
Deadlift / Lateral Burpee
Fri 24
Naughty Nancy
20:00 AMRAP
Run / OH Squat
Sat 25
Muscle Pig
4 Rounds For Time
Bar MU / Power Clean
Sun 26
Partner Triple 3
Teams of 2 · For Time
Row / DU / Run
WOD Highlight — Saturday "Muscle Pig"
Score is Time · 16:00 Cap
10 Bar Muscle-UpsGymnastics
10 Power Cleans (205/135)Weightlifting
× 4 Rounds For TimeRPE 9
Strategy: A variation of the CrossFit Games "Muscle Pig" event — short, heavy and relentless. The 10:00 gymnastic skill session before the workout is your chance to lock in a muscle-up variation you can hold for all four rounds. Don't open with a bigger set than round four can match. Power cleans should stay at a weight you can move as quick singles with minimal rest.
LevelModification
RX+10 Bar Muscle-Ups · 10 Power Cleans (205/135)
Intermediate15 Chest to Bar · 10 Power Cleans (155/105)
Beginner10 Jumping Pull-Ups · 10 Dumbbell Power Cleans
Two Pain Cave Days Winter Warriors Week 3 Friday PM Off — Lift Off Instead Heavy Pulling Thursday
Programming via Mayhem Gym Programming & Coaching Development · crossfit.com
Recovery

Managing
The Middle

With pain cave days either side of a heavy Thursday, this week's recovery is about not showing up to Saturday already cooked. Small, consistent habits between sessions matter more than anything you do after the fact.

Deadlifts and burpees Thursday will hammer the low back, hamstrings and grip. Bar muscle-ups Saturday need fresh shoulders. Treat the days in between as active preparation, not just downtime.

This Week's Protocol After Wednesday's session, spend 5–10 minutes on the couch stretch and a low back foam roll. After Thursday's deadlifts, add pigeon pose and banded hamstring work. Front-load the recovery so Saturday's muscle-ups aren't fighting a tired posterior chain and smoked grip.
💧
Hydrate Early
"The End" on Wednesday and the deadlift day Thursday will drain you fast. Get on top of water and electrolytes before Thursday, not after.
🦵
Posterior Chain Care
Deadstop deadlifts Thursday hammer the low back and hamstrings. Foam roll and couch stretch through Thu–Sat to stay ahead of it.
🤲
Grip & Shoulders
Bar muscle-ups Saturday need fresh hands. Ease off extra pulling volume midweek if you feel grip fatigue building.
😴
Protect Your Sleep
This is a genuinely demanding week. An extra 30 minutes of sleep does more for Saturday's muscle-ups than anything you can foam roll.
CrossFit recovery principles · crossfit.com
Nutrition

Carbohydrates —
Your Training Fuel

Week 4 of the nutrition series. We've covered real food, protein and fat — this week is carbohydrates, the macro most CrossFit athletes either fear unnecessarily or misuse entirely.

On a week like this one, with a pain cave chipper, a heavy pull day and a muscle-up sprint, carbs are fuel and recovery, not something to restrict. Carbohydrate is the body's preferred fuel source for high-intensity efforts — the kind we're doing most days this week.

The CrossFit nutrition framework treats carbs the same way it treats fat and protein: quality and timing over total avoidance. Whole-food sources like rice, potatoes, oats and fruit, eaten around your training, do more for performance and recovery than any low-carb approach.

Practical tip this week On Wednesday and Thursday specifically, don't train on empty. A carb and protein snack an hour or two beforehand will change how "The End" and the deadlifts feel in the back half.
01
Before Training
A carb-containing meal 2–3 hours out tops up glycogen for high-output days like Wednesday and Saturday.
02
After Training
Carbs post-workout replace what you burned and support recovery for the next day, especially back-to-back like Wed into Thu.
03
Best Sources
Rice, potatoes, oats, fruit. Whole-food carbs over processed ones, most of the time.
Chicken &
Rice Power Bowl
High protein, carb-timed recovery meal
This Week's Recipe
Serves2
Prep10 min
Cook15 min
Total25 min
Calories
520
kcal
Protein
42g
per serve
Carbs
58g
per serve
Fat
14g
per serve
Ingredients
Chicken thigh, diced300g
Cooked jasmine rice1.5 cups
Broccoli, chopped1 cup
Carrot, sliced1
Soy sauce2 tbsp
Honey1 tbsp
Sesame oil1 tsp
Garlic, minced1 clove
Method
1
Sear chicken in a hot pan until cooked through.
2
Add garlic, broccoli and carrot, stir-fry 3–4 minutes.
3
Stir in soy sauce, honey and sesame oil, coat everything.
4
Serve over the rice, split across two bowls.
CrossFit Nutrition — Carbohydrates: crossfit.com/faq/nutrition
What's On

This Week &
Coming Up

Christmas in July is this Friday, and it's the only Friday PM session on the board this week. Here's everything coming up.

24
Jul
Christmas in July Lift Off 🎄
Friday · 5:30–6:30pm · This is the only Friday PM class this week — our normal evening session is off, come through for this one instead. Worth 10 Winter Warrior points.
Community
Coming Up
15
Aug
Committed Club WOD
Saturday · 7:00–8:00am · Falls inside the Winter Warriors window and counts toward your attendance total. Winter Warriors finishes the following day on Sunday 16 August.
Community
23
Aug
Run Club #8
Meet at the coffee shop, 20 minutes out, 20 minutes back, social coffee after.
Social
5
Sep
Fathers Day WOD
Saturday · 7:00–8:00am.
Community
Home WOD

Can't Make It In?
We've Got You.

Sunday's class WOD is a partner effort, so here's a solo version scaled for home with minimal kit — the same row, double-under and run structure, just built for one.

For Time  ·  Row, Double Unders & Run
  • 1000m Row Steady pace
  • 100 Double Unders (or 200 Single Unders) Unbroken sets
  • 1 Mile Run Even effort
Scaling options:
No rower: sub 1500m bike erg or ski erg. No space to run: sub 4:00 of shuttle runs or high knees. No rope: sub 100 mountain climbers (50 each side) for the double unders.
📲 Post your time in the members group — keep that WW26 attendance ticking over.