HDT ULTIMATE THROWDOWN
To get us all on the same page - HDT Throwdowns are events hosted by Heavy Drop Training run by Bryan Singelyn. It’s based out of CLE, and the best ruck & sandbag (and kettlebell 😉) training program available. There are Throwdowns across the country in different cities, 12-15 hours of sandbag & ruck workouts with some mileage and “fun” sprinkled in. You can enter competitive or non-competitive for these events, and those in the top three in each city are eligible to compete in the Ultimate Throwdown. This event was open to 26 people across the country who met that criteria, and seven showed up the day of the event for 24+ hours. This was the first Ultimate, so none of us really knew what to expect.
I prepared for this mainly just the usual way I train, really. Consistent rounds of HDT for the past 2.5 years, alternating between sandbag & ruck and bodyweight & ruck. Not a ton of long mileage. However, for the past 10 weeks, I have been developing the kettlebell portion of HDT, so that’s where my focus was, i.e. really no sandbag work.
So, I was a nervous wreck going in, but I had my goal - finish. That’s it. Another competitor (Steve) and I talked about the event, and we both agreed we weren’t trying to be competitive. We were there for the same goal, so we’d keep each other on track.
We show up and received *really* nice goodie bags, which put me in a good mood. We started with an SAQ (strength, agility, quickness) warm up, then moved right into the PT test. Steve and I were partners going back-and-forth on completing two minute sit-ups, two minute push-ups, one minute hand release push-ups, one minute prisoner squats, five minutes of burpees, one minute squat cleans, two minute sandbag squats, one minute pull-ups, and two minute sandbag lunges. We moved really quickly through that!
From there everything starts to blur, as far as the timeline. Over the course of the next 24 hours, we did two full weeks of Heavy Drop Training, so that is six workouts, which means two upper workouts, two lower, and two core. The time limit was 1 hour 15 minutes each. The intensity of the workouts was amped up from normal HDT training -a lot of complex movements and TONS of volume. I never had it in my head to race, but work steadily and perform quality reps. Because this event didn’t have pass/fail standards, if you did not complete the workout within the hour and 15 minutes, you received no points for it. The workouts were brutal, absolute grinders. I think I only finished one workout the entire event but I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t finishing some of these. We all just put their heads down and did work until we were done/Bryan called time. My favorite workout was the first core because the exercise of 30 overhead carries out and back of the gym (which I dubbed “The Boulevard of Broken Dreams”). It was tough, but I’m pretty good at pacing myself on that movement. Least favorite was the second lower. It took me the entire time to finish only the first movement 😂
Mileage was “low” for this event - 15.8 miles total at my count, which admittedly isn’t super reliable right now. Minimal mileage was fine by me because there are plenty of trainings and events where I can get that, and I liked this was different. Mileage was gained in two separate truck evolutions- first one was 1.3 miles, the other one was .6 miles. We were split into teams. One team would push and pull the truck for the route, while the other team would farmer’s carry kettlebells (bear hug medicine balls for the second). Each team got a chance to do both in both evolutions. I really liked pulling the truck, pushing was fine until it wasn’t. The medicine ball/farmer’s carry was paced by the truck & felt manageable the whole time.
The other place we gained mileage was the 12 miler. It was a two-mile loop around a gorgeous lake on a really scenic trail. There were deer, squirrels, geese, and lots of dogs being walked. It had some slight grades but no real hills. We had to do a lap slick, one ruck only, then another with ruck & sandbag…then all of that again. This was really hard mentally for me. Everyone split from each other early, so I was alone. It was just me and my thoughts, and my thoughts were really mean. This movement was where I truly grasped the biblical mandate to take every thought captive and keep it focused on what is good, true, praiseworthy, etc….and I had lots of time to practice. 😂 I was super close to making the 3:30 cut off, and Bryan came running to me at the end. He wanted me to make it, so he stuck me on the live feed, made sure I was shuffling, and gave such awesome encouragement. That kind of finish and the donut one of the volunteers brought made it a perfect moment.
We also did a QMOD 6. That is six “Quarter Mile of Death” movements with the goal of finishing in two hours. Cullen holds the record as the person who has got the closest to finish one of these (no one has finished one yet). The first two movements were fine. The third wasn’t impossible, but slow moving (ruck on, lateral sandbag tosses. Side note: It was during this movement my sandbag filler bag busted at the seams, and I proceeded to give myself and everyone around me black lung every time it hit the floor). The fourth was what took everyone out…inchworm push ups. We were moving, just very slowly. The heat was getting to everyone, I think! Thankfully, we got to go back to the gym after for a bit.
Saturday afternoon, we went to a hill to do sprints. We would do them for x amount of time, rest, then ⅔ of the amount of time, rest, then ⅓. I don’t love running on a good day, so running uphill in the heat did not thrill me. I just kept moving, and let my power walk uphill suffice.
Thankfully after the sprints, we had an evolution that was submerging our arms in ice water filled buckets for five minutes. As soon as that time was up, we had to connect our sandbags and ruck with some rope to low crawl and drag the sandbag downhill. Then low crawl back up, pull the bag in by the rope, submerge our arms again for a minute. Repeat that all a few more times and end with submerging our faces in the water. This part was actually a lot of fun!
So here we are at the last couple hours. We’re midway through the last HDT workout. Everyone is hurting and dead behind the eyes. Bryan made sure good music was blasting, and he and the volunteers walked around encouraging each person. He comes up to me, and I start to cry. I tell him I am on empty. He informs me clearly I am not, being I am still going. I amend that to say, “Okay, I am running on the two gallon reserve car manufacturers build in because they know people are idiots who will not fill up their car when it says empty.” So yes, I am on the idiot reserve. That’s what I am working with.
That’s when we go into the end. Two HDT AMRAPs. Both are workouts I have done numerous times. Good, because I am comfortable with the movements. Bad, because I know they are tough. The first was 20 minutes, the other 30. The minute I stood up for the 20 minute one, and I look at the whiteboard, a switch in my brain flipped, and I remembered - this workout was my jam. It was time to crush this thing or pass out trying. Maybe I looked like a turtle doing it, but on the inside, I was on fire and gave 100% of what was in me.
We all sit down, and Bryan gathers rounds and reps. It’s exciting because the top three are neck and neck. At that point, it finally hit me…I am actually going to finish this thing! We ALL were going to finish this thing! The end was something I never considered because staying in the moment was key. God is merciful, and so is Bryan, because he lowered the final AMRAP from 30 minutes to 10 minutes. If I was still breathing, I could put out for another 10 minutes.
…and the end. WE DID IT! The finishers of the very first Ultimate Throwdown! Placings were announced, and I was surprised to come in fifth. That was pretty cool. I was thrilled for each and every person because everyone worked so hard. No one was fresh and rosy at the end; we all battled to get there. There is no way this can be a situation where someone can say, “Well, the first of an event is the easiest.” No. Bryan demanded everything we had and then some. We made the most of every minute available.
My biggest takeaways - HDT kettlebell programming keeps a person in the game. Should one neglect sandbag training? Umm no, of course not! We only farmer’s carried bells in the event. Sandbags were the main piece of equipment, but I was in no way deficient because I had a round of KB training worked in. My overhead work and squats were some of my strongest movements throughout because of it.
This community is amazing. The other competitors, those who showed up to volunteer, the family and friends who came in to watch, the people on the live feeds. Every kind word, commiseration, smile, well-timed treat, etc…conveyed an atmosphere of respect, support, and morale boost. The focus was on the work. There were no mind games or humiliation beyond what we did to ourselves (which I know for myself was enough).
And finally, Bryan, Krysta, and their family are absolute rock stars. It was evident throughout the level of organization and thought that Bryan put into the entire event. There was truly a method behind the madness. Krysta brought her talents in to not only make awesome shirts for all the competitors, but volunteers too. (Haven’t taken my shirt off since Sunday morning. It’s now Monday morning. Haha) The level of planning needed for an event like this does not happen without sacrifice, and it’s important for me to thank Krysta and the kids for sharing their husband and dad with us. You are seen and appreciated. Thank you for allowing me to have this time of testing.
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