The Acid Bath WOD first made its debut back in the 2018 iteration of the Dubai Fitness Championship finals. This workout of the day is a three-part sprint workout to challenge your cardiovascular system.
The Acid Bath Crossfit workout tests your fitness and strength by design, potentially placing you through a gruelingly fast build-up of lactic acid in your legs.
The Acid Bath WOD is a benchmark Crossfit WOD that tests your fitness levels.
Acid Bath WOD comes with a 6-minute cap training time for men and a 7-minute cap training time for women.
The following exercises are done in the Acid Bath:
- 500-meter SkiErg
- 500-meter row
- 1000 meter BikeErg
500-Meter SkiErg
The 500 meters SkiErg part of the Acid Bath involves taking on the SkiErg indoor rowing machine. This machine is designed to train elite Olympic rowers.
Compared to your average rowing machine at the gym, this rowing machine is heavier, and you can use it to specifically train for distance and endurance events.
In this part of the Acid Bath WOD, you need to row for 500 meters, going as fast as possible, using the correct form.
For context, a good time on the 500 meters SkiErg is 2:30.
500-Meter Row
The 500-meter row moves onto a more traditional rowing machine. To attain the best form, you should strap your feet into the foot pedals.
You should also hold the handles symmetrically with both hands.
When creating a rep, you should drive through the stroke:
- First, with your legs. Push the machine away with your legs. Your hamstrings, glutes, and quads should provide the explosive power needed at the start.
- Hinge at your hips when leaning back
- The moment your hands go past your knees, use your lats to control the arms bringing the handle just below your chest.
1000 Meter BikeErg
Attaining great form is key to performing this exercise at a high level. The first thing you need to do is to set your seat height.
You should bend your legs at 90 degrees with your thighs parallel to the floor. Moreover, you should keep your chest up and your back flat during this part of the workout.
You should also ensure that your weight is kept back; you shouldn’t lean on the handlebars. Doing so could place unnecessary stress on your shoulders and wrists, leading to injury.
You should note that the power required to attain a pace of 2:00/1000 meters on the BikeErg is the same level of power required to set a pace of 2:00/500 meters on the SkiErg. The difference here is reflective of real-world speeds.
