🪖 Wodapalooza Army Gauntlet – Huntington Beach Recap
In September, I took on the Gauntlet at the Wodapalooza in Huntington Beach — a 45-minute CrossFit-inspired test of grit, lungs, and strength… all under the sun. 🌞
This event was divided into three brutal stations, each challenging a different energy system — and each with zero rest between them. By the end, I had a whole new respect for just how deep CrossFit-style conditioning can go.
🔥 Station 1: The Engine
The first phase was pure endurance grind:
75 calories on the Rogue Echo Bike
1000 meters on the Echo Rower
1600m run on the Assault Runner
This opener hit everything — lungs, legs, and mental toughness. I focused on pacing early but by the halfway mark, the Echo Bike had already done its damage. My goal was to stay efficient, control breathing, and conserve enough energy for the strength portion… emphasis on try. 😅
💪 Station 2: The Strength Gauntlet
Next up was a barbell complex from the trenches — 5 rounds of:
12 Deadlifts
9 Hang Cleans
6 Push Presses
3 Front Squats
All at 135 pounds. It sounded light at first but got tough really fast. This was a great balance of muscular endurance and barbell cycling, forcing control under fatigue. My legs and grip were already shot from the previous station, but I stayed consistent through each round. This portion reminded me why I love hybrid training — strength meets stamina in one continuous fight.
⚡ Station 3: The Metcon Finale
And then… the grand finale — a full chipper to cap it off:
50 Wall Balls (20 lbs)
40 Dumbbell Snatches (50 lbs)
30 Box Jump Overs
20 Dumbbell Devil’s Presses
10 Burpee Box Jump Overs
This one crushed me. Coming in already gassed, the combination of explosiveness, coordination, and pure conditioning pushed me to my limit. My pacing went out the window, and I had to just focus on movement quality and survival mode. 😅
It was a great reminder that metabolic conditioning hits differently when you haven’t been training specifically for it — especially in the heat of the day.
🌊 The Experience
The setting in Huntington Beach was incredible — ocean breeze, loud music, cheering crowds, and that unmistakable CrossFit community energy. The event was well-organized, competitive, and overall, a fantastic experience.
Even though I didn’t perform at my peak, it was exactly the kind of challenge I need: a mix of strength, endurance, and humility. I walked away feeling grateful, motivated, and with a clear goal — to dial back into metabolic conditioning and refine my energy system balance before the next one.
💭 Takeaway
Events like this are the perfect gut check. They expose gaps, reinforce strengths, and remind you that fitness is earned through variety and consistency — not just in one domain, but across the board.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. But next time, I’ll be coming in better prepared for that final Metcon. 😉
