CrossFit Republic – CrossFit
No Endurance Option Today
I’d like the community to experience this Zercher RDL and gain the benefits of it and allow coaches to keep a close eye on athletes while they’re performing it. Also, I’d like everyone to perform the benchmark “Annie.”
Daily Strength W.O.D. – 15 Minutes (5 Rounds for weight)
Zercher Romanian Deadlifts (From the Rack)
5 Sets of 8 Reps
RPE 7 (You should feel like you can do 3 – 4 reps past 8).
What is the Zercher RDL?
The Zercher Romanian Deadlift is a posterior-chain strength movement where the bar is held in the Zercher position (in the crooks of the elbows) while performing a hinge pattern like an RDL .
Instead of the bar being in your hands, it sits in front of your torso, forcing your core, upper back, and hips to work harder to stay in position.
This is a total trunk + posterior chain builder .
What is it doing?
The Zercher RDL trains:
Hamstrings – eccentric control and length strength
Glutes – hip extension power
Lower back – isometric stability
Upper back – posture under front load
Core / abs – resisting collapse forward
Biceps & arms – supporting the Zercher hold
Bracing mechanics – learning to stay tight under awkward load
Because the weight is in front of you, your body has to fight to not fold and that’s the point. It teaches you to stay strong when the position isn’t perfect.
Why do we do it?
Most athletes are strong when everything is ideal.
Bar in the hands.
Neutral grip.
Comfortable rack.
Perfect stance.
Sport and real training are not like that.
The Zercher RDL forces:
Front-side loading
Long lever hinge
Core under tension
Upper back endurance
Hamstrings under stretch
This makes it one of the best lifts for:
Strongman style events
Odd object lifting
Sandbags / stones / carries
Wrestling / football / grappling
CrossFit hinge strength
Injury prevention
It builds strength that transfers.
Why should we do it more?
Most athletes lack strength in positions where:
The load is in front
The torso wants to collapse
The hamstrings are long
The core is fatigued
That’s exactly what this lift trains.
Doing more Zercher hinges helps:
Fix weak posterior chain
Fix bad posture under load
Improve deadlift mechanics
Improve squat stability
Improve bracing
Build resilience in the low back
If you only train perfect positions,
you get strong only in perfect positions.
How to perform the Zercher RDL correctly
1. Set the Zercher position
Bar in elbow crease
Hands together or fists up
Keep bar tight to body
Chest tall, ribs down
2. Hinge, don’t squat
Push hips back
Slight bend in knees
Feel stretch in hamstrings
Keep torso rigid
3. Keep the bar close
Bar stays against torso
Don’t let it drift forward
If it drifts, your core is loose
4. Stop when position breaks
Go until hamstrings limit you
Not until your back rounds
5. Stand by driving hips forward
Squeeze glutes
Brace abs
Finish tall, not leaning back
Common mistakes
Squatting instead of hinging
Letting elbows drop
Rounding upper back
Losing brace at the bottom
Going too heavy too soon
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Daily Conditioning W.O.D. – 12 Minutes (Time)
“Annie”
50-40-30-20-10 reps for time:
Double Unders
Ab Mat Sit Ups
What Is the Annie Workout?
Annie was first programmed on CrossFit.com on Sept. 7, 2005, and is considered to be a classic benchmark test. It is a workout that looks simple on paper but packs a potent dose in a short timeframe as the workout design promotes intensity and a fast pace. Named after CrossFit pioneer Annie Sakamoto , this benchmark workout features a descending rep scheme of double-unders and sit-ups: 50 double-unders, 50 sit-ups, 40 double-unders, 40 sit-ups, 30 double-unders, 30 sit-ups, 20 double-unders, 20 sit-ups, and finally 10 double-unders and 10 sit-ups.
The highest level athletes will finish this workout in under 6 minutes, while performing a variation of this workout that allows for completion in 10-12 minutes is a great goal for all levels of athletes.
This workout primarily challenges cardio-respiratory endurance and stamina, as well as neurological components of fitness, specifically with the double-under.
About the Annie Workout
Annie is a task-priority workout. The amount of work the athlete completes is fixed, and athletes complete the workout as quickly as possible — for time — while maintaining sound movement mechanics and full ranges of motion.
With this type of workout, it’s important to note the time required for completion. When repeating this workout, the goal is to perform the workout faster or in a similar timeframe but with more challenging scales.
This workout can be scaled to meet the current capacity of any athlete.
Intended Stimulus
Sub-10:00; advanced athletes in sub-6:30.
Double-unders in 1:00 or less for the first two rounds.
Constantly moving on sit-ups without breaks
Step 1:
35 – 25 – 15 – 10 – 5…
Single Unders, Line Hops, or Plate Taps
Ab Mat Sit Ups
Step 2:
75 – 60 – 45 – 30 – 15…
Single Unders
Ab Mat Sit Ups
Step 3: Same as RX
Annie (Time)
50-40-30-20-10
Double-unders
Sit-ups