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8 Predictions for the 2018 CrossFit Open

Hear ye, hear ye. Gather around and lend me your ears. The 2018 CrossFit Open is upon us and with that comes the age-old tradition of trying to predict what in God’s name Castro and CrossFit HQ have in store for their five-week long, puke-ridden test of fitness. I love the prediction game that accompanies the Open… the process of elimination, the cryptic clues from Castro, the absolutely absurd interpretations of said clues on Instagram – “Castro was holding a water bottle in his last video, definitely a swim this week.” All are as much a part of the Open as the workouts themselves.

Prediction articles are no different. Everyone is searching for that fleeting moment of glory where they can stand atop a 30″ box and yell, “I knew it!” – usually to a collective eye roll of everyone within shouting distance. Sadly, this article is no different. This is my 30” box. And if I somehow manage to nail a couple of guesses correctly, trust me by God you’re going to hear about it. So let’s get on with it. Here are your eight predictions for the 2018 CF Open.

1. The Return of the Dumbbell

gym equipment

If there’s one prediction I’m willing to bet the farm on, this is it. Dumbbells will undoubtedly return in one form or another again this year. Whether that’s in the form of a repeat movement or something entirely new, Castro didn’t introduce the DB last season for it just to be a one-and-done type of thing. Hopefully, you’ve been folding them into your daily programming in every variation imaginable, adhering to that whole “constantly varied” thing CrossFit is so keen on. That way, come announcement night, any workout Castro creates is nothing you haven’t seen or done before.

2. Welcome Back, Ring Muscle-Ups

We’ve missed you (well, maybe not everyone, but you get the picture). The fact of the matter is the past two years, the Open has been tragically lacking in the Cirque du Soleil department. Bars instead of rings, oh my! Two years ago, Castro introduced his new marquee movement, the bar muscle-up, while wearing a buttoned up Versace shirt and sipping wine in Milan (classic Castro).

That year, the workout called for bar muscle-ups in small sets of three. It created some dynamic and special moments across the CF landscape — people getting their first bar muscle-ups, feet frantically kicking in the air from atop the bar, etc. Then last year, we saw the volume increase to 16 reps at time, twice! The thought process was first let’s introduce a new movement, give people a taste, let them practice it for a year, and then we’ll test volume. Feel good about that? Good. Now, let’s switch it up.

crossfit

3. The Repeat Workout is…

15.5 – thrusters and rowing. I get it — everyone hates thrusters. I think most people tried to rationalize how bad this workout might be the first time around, yet in reality, they really had no idea. I’ve never seen the level of carnage after a workout as I did after 15.5. Bodies everywhere, people trying to get off the rower and walk it off only to have their legs buckle underneath them, a few people even met pukie – and that was just the first heat! The Open always includes a repeat workout and CF has had a history of repeating its perennial thruster puke fest (11.6 was 12.5, 14.5 was 16.5); so why buck the trend now?

Runner up? 15.3 – ring muscle-ups, wall balls and double-unders. Somewhere, some time ago, I remember Castro saying this was one of his favorite Open workouts. Not to mention it fulfills the ring muscle-up prediction. Really, I’m just trying to double dip in case either workout shows up, so I can say, “I knew it!”

wall balls

4. Go Home, Pistols

Pistols always show up around this time of year as the hot-button movement people are certain will make their debut. If you had asked me prior to last year’s Open, I might have agreed with you, but not anymore. The reason being, prior to last year, the pool of “new movements” to introduce in the Open had basically run dry. But now, with the introduction of the DB, everything is technically a new movement (a bit cheap if you ask me, but CF media kept making a big deal about it last year). DB shoulder-to-overhead. New movement. DB thruster. New movement. DB burpee backflip. New movement. And the list goes on and on. Anything and everything is a new movement once you add a DB to it. With the pool seemingly deeper than ever, a difficult to perform, difficult to judge movement looks like it’s been placed back on the shelf for now.

pistols

5. Strict What, Now?

Despite everything I just said, and trust me I think it’s a long shot, I can see strict handstand push-ups showing up. As far as strict movements go, strict HSPUs seem the most feasible – and by feasible, I mean easiest to judge. Strict muscle-ups, strict pull-ups? No way. Too much wiggle room in the judging – also, strict muscle-ups are basically impossible, so they’re definitely out. Strict HSPUs have far less grey area when it comes to judging and have been a staple of the latter stages of competition for years.

If you follow the trajectory of the HSPU, just like we did with the bar muscle-ups, the HSPU was introduced in 2015 in small doses, then with heavy volume in ’16 and ’17. So how do we add a twist to it this year? Why not make them strict? I agree this may be the longest of long shots, and more than likely they’ll save strict HSPUs for Regionals and the Games; but as the talent pool in CF rises across the world, don’t be surprised if Castro has this ace up his sleeve.

6. No Airdyne – Thank God

Another popular centerpiece on many people’s prediction lists revolves around the Airdyne – more specifically, the Assault Bike. The reason I’m certain the Assault Bike won’t rear its devilish head this time around — or as I’m starting to believe, anytime in the near future — is because there are too many variables on the market. Last year, Castro announced ahead of time dumbbells would be making their debut during the Open. Sure, lots of brands make dumbbells; but at the end of the day, a dumbbell is a dumbbell is a dumbbell, no matter what the brand.

bike

Not true when it comes to air bikes. Every bike measures calories and distances differently. New brands have popped up, and this further muddles the ability to create a universal standard. With that being said, let’s all exhale loudly and deeply as we can be certain this new age torture device isn’t a part of Castro’s arsenal.

7. Castro, The Man’s Man

I need another gimme. Some of these predictions thus far have been pretty far fetched, and frankly, I could use a win. My prediction is that at some point during the after show of the week one live announcement, Castro will say something along the lines of, “Next week will separate the boys from the men” or, “This week was fun. Next week will be a bloodbath.” You know, some ultra machismo type statement. A rallying cry to all the hardcore exercisers out there while somehow, simultaneously, managing to elevate everyone else’s stress level even further. Ah yes, what would the Open be without cold sweats and sleepless, stress-filled nights?

8. And The Winner’s Are…

Annie Thorisdottir and Noah Ohlsen. Annie has had an incredible year thus far. She finished third at the Games this past August, won the CF Team Series with her countryman (countrywoman?) Katrin Davidsdottir, and recently took home the title at the Dubai Fitness Championships in a field stacked with perennial Games athletes. Yet, for whatever reason, Annie tends to fly under the radar most of the time. She may not win a ton of events, but she’s easily one of the most well-rounded athletes in the sport and that consistency should serve her mightily come the Open.

Noah Ohlsen already has one Open championship to his name, finishing 1st overall in 2016. He’s kind of in the same boat as Annie with this one. After finishing 4th at the Games, his best finish ever and narrowly missing the podium, he added another title to his belt after winning the CF Team Series with Travis Mayer. In the year Noah won the Open, and after the dust had settled, by his standards, a disappointing Games finish, he stated maybe pushing so hard during the Open cost him in the long run – a sentiment Fraser shared as well after the ’15 Open. Even so, Noah has the potential to regain his Open crown without exerting himself beyond his breaking point if the workouts align properly. Look for him atop the leaderboard, or damn close to the top, at the end of week five.

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3 Movements You Can Improve Before the Open

The Open is upon us, and we all want to be as prepared as possible. TWL spoke with Ben Dziwulski over at WODPrep, which helps athletes break through sticking points, master specific skills and Rx more workouts. Ben selected three specific movements you can significantly improve before the Open arrives, and how to do it. Here’s what he had to say.

Here we are, 2018. And with another new year comes another CrossFit Open just around the corner. So my question to you is, are you ready for it? Have you been fine-tuning some of those skills we see pop up year after year, or have you been avoiding them like the plague?

Regardless, I’m here to help.

Every year, there are a handful of movements we see programmed across the Open without fail. Today, I want to focus on three I believe you still have time to make progress on before February 22nd — when workout 18.1 is officially announced.

1. Double-Unders

double-unders

Believe me, I’ve experienced it firsthand… double-unders can be super annoying. There’s nothing more frustrating than repeatedly getting whipped by a rope as you’re trying to learn a new skill. Whether you’re just starting to learn them or are working on improving your capacity, I recommend following four simple steps.

Make a Plan

It may sound silly, but unless you know what your starting point is, it’s hard to move forward. Don’t even know the first step to take toward a double-under? Try checking out this video.

If you already understand double-unders but are having specific issues with wrist speed, jumping form, stringing reps together, etc., then it’s important to find drills to address whatever your specific issue is.

Try New Things

If you’re feeling stuck in a rut and just CAN’T figure out where your sticking point is, here are a few things I recommend for switching things up and breaking through barriers. Below are a few techniques I have seen work well with athletes in the past:

Know Your Jump

Jumping form is incredibly important in relation to double-unders. So when I say “know your form,” this is what I’m referring to:

Are you donkey kicking?
double-unders

Are you piking?

wodprep image

If you are, you’re wasting a TON of energy. Generally, I like to think of the double-under as a “pogo stick” jump. Keep your feet together and bend at the knees, hips and ankles slightly. Imagine your legs are one solid spring and simply jump straight up and down, just like a pogo stick!

Be Patient

This is important: trust the process. Know that every day of practicing double-unders isn’t going to bring immense progress, and there may be days where you feel like you’re backtracking…

Stay focused, stay diligent and try to enjoy the process!

2. Kipping Pull-ups

As a disclaimer, I highly recommend you do NOT attempt kipping pull-ups until you can do at least four strict pull-ups. The motion of a kipping pull-up can cause a lot of stress on your shoulders. Therefore, the movement really shouldn’t be attempted until you’re strong enough to string together a series of strict pull-ups first. (Still working on strict pull-ups? There’s a free guide for that.)

When it comes to this skill of kipping pull-ups, I like to break it down into six parts:

Grip and Hollow Body

Your grip should be just outside of your shoulders when you hop onto the bar, and you should be holding a hollow-body position. (Think of your body forming a slight C shape.) Another important tip is to make sure you’re wrapping your thumb around the bar and under your fingers; this is simply more safe and won’t allow you to fly off.

Extend Into the Arch Position

Keeping your legs and core tight, point your toes and extend from the hollow body position into an arch position. This will push your head through, and your legs back behind your body.

Shoulders Up and Away

In this step, you’re moving back into a hollow body position, but also start to hinge your shoulders back as well. At this point, your head will start to come through also.

pullups

The Hip Pop

As you’re drifting up toward the bar, you will momentarily reach a point of weightlessness right at the apex. As you are reaching the apex, or right when you reach it, you need to pop your hips. This hip pop is what will help you pull yourself directly into the bar.

Pull With Your Elbows Down

This step is pretty simple: you should be pulling up and into the bar, so you can use your biceps and back muscles — not just your shoulders.

Push Back and Away

Now that your chin is above the bar, this next step is crucial (and often overlooked). You need to push back away from the bar, bringing your feet back out in front of you and moving back into the hollow body position. Think of it like pressing rewind. 🙂

3. Bar Muscle-Ups

I very often get asked the question, “Ben, which is easier — bar muscle-ups or ring muscle-ups?

In my opinion, the answer is bar muscle-ups — because the bar is much more stable than rings are. So, if you’re at a point where you think you’re ready to work on muscle-ups but not sure which one to focus on, my suggestion would be bar muscle-ups first.

muscle-ups

Now, let’s look at my favorite drill for this movement: banded bar muscle-ups.

This drill can help you work toward getting your first — or help you clean up your current technique if you already have them. And the best part is the only equipment you need are a band and a bar.

First, wrap the band around the pull-up bar you will be working on. Then, carefully put one of your feet into the band once your hands are on the bar. (Either enter this position from a dead hang or from a box.)

Note: to keep this movement clean, simply wrap your foot that isn’t in the band over the top of your other foot.

Once you’re situated, make sure your hands are about shoulder width apart on the bar, lever back and attempt a bar muscle-up. The more assistance you need with bar muscle-ups, the thicker the band should be.

So, why am I specifically recommending this drill? I’ve got three reasons.

  1. It’s a great skill progression. Once you find the correct band that allows you to do assisted bar muscle-ups efficiently, this drill allows you to scale yet still practice multiple reps in a workout (instead of just scaling down to pull-ups).
  2. It helps to eliminate bad habits. Like I mentioned above, even if you can already do bar muscle-ups, this drill can be useful to you. If you’re still finding yourself doing the “chicken wing,” or having crazy legs in the process of your kip/lever, using a band can help you clean up these bad habits.
  3. This drill helps to accumulate volume. If you currently aren’t able to do several reps in a row, then you probably aren’t accumulating enough practice with bar muscle-ups to truly get good at the movement. So, grab one of the lighter bands the next time a workout calls for multiple bar muscle-ups, and work on accumulating those reps.

4. Ring Muscle-Ups

ring muscle-ups

Bonus! I know this was article is supposed to cover three movements you can work on before the Open, but I’m going to break out both bar and ring muscle-ups, because they’re both super important.

Before anything else, here are the questions I typically ask athletes before starting to work on ring muscle-ups:

If you answered yes to each one of these questions — you can do a muscle-up. You just need a little coaching and some practice. If you answered no to a few of the above questions, then you know what you still need to work on!

Let’s look at the three areas I highly recommend you focus on first.

The False Grip

I’m well aware we don’t see Games athletes using false grip while they’re ripping out multiple ring muscle-ups. However, if you’re new to the movement, learning the false grip is the FIRST step you need to take toward developing a muscle-up. In fact, it is the ONLY thing I teach my online athletes for the first few sessions of muscle-up training. If I can get an athlete to perform a strict false grip ring pull-up on week one, then I know they will have a muscle-up within a few weeks.

Unfortunately, many athletes say, “I can’t hold on to the false grip!” or, “It really hurts my wrists, so I don’t like using that technique.”

My response: When was the last time you specifically practiced in order to develop the false grip?

If you started treating the false grip like any of your major lifts (practicing on a consistent basis), then my guess is you would see major improvements. Too often, people try to attempt the muscle-up as a whole instead of taking time to work on the individual parts.

rings

The reason the false grip is key is because it puts your wrist in an optimal position to allow the turnover to take place. It works like magic to get you above the rings with little to no kipping required.

Practicing Transitions

Transitions are the “sexy” part of the muscle-up; they’re the link between the pull-up and the dip. I said it before and I’m going to say it again for emphasis:

Too often, people try to attempt the muscle-up as a whole instead of taking time to work on the individual parts.

The best way to practice transitions is to do them! Understanding the way your body catapults itself from a pull-up into a dip takes time, so you have to make sure to get your reps in. After several practice sessions, you’ll start to develop muscle memory.

Stay Diligent

I understand how frustrating it can be. You are close, yet feel so far away. Have faith! You are just a few positive habits away from getting above those rings. The key is making consistent progress, practicing the right drills and trusting the process.

Remember: if you only practice these drills a few times a year, then you will see little to no progress. On the other hand, if you spend 45 minutes per week (that’s 15 minutes per day, three days per week) practicing, developing and training your false grip and transition, you will see MASSIVE progress and ultimately, success!

Hopefully this post helped to give you some ideas of movements and/or drills to work on as we quickly approach the 2018 Open. Even if you can’t Rx all of the movements, the Open is a great time to challenge yourself as an athlete, all the while evaluating where you stand in your fitness.

Best of luck!

Ben

To get more help mastering CrossFit movements, visit WODPrep online.

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Top 5 Lessons to Learn From the Last Open

Year after year, the one thing the Open is guaranteed to leave you with is more than a few lessons. Whether it’s an area that needs refining, a skill that needs developing or learning Katrin Davidsdottir is really, really fast at thrusters and double-unders, you always walk away with a few new insights for the upcoming year. Here are the top five lessons learned from the last year to help make this your best Open finish to date!

1. Pace Everything

Everything, I repeat, everything is done at a pace. The issue is that when people hear the word “pace,” they automatically picture someone taking a Sunday stroll on a bike listening to the birds chirping overhead. That isn’t the case. Pacing just means working at a percentage of your max that allows for maximal power output for the given timeframe or work requirement. The only things that truly aren’t done at a pace are something like a 15-second Airdyne sprint or 100m sprint. So, if everything else in CrossFit is done at some percentage of your max, shouldn’t you recognize what the optimal pace is and try to hit that target?

Maybe it’s because the adrenaline is pumping or because of the short timeframe of most of the workouts; but during the Open, most people hear the beep and mistakenly shoot out of the gate like a racehorse. Let’s use last year’s Open workout 17.5 as an example. If you did your first round in 45 seconds and your last round in two minutes and 45 seconds, you did not pace correctly and potentially robbed yourself of your best score. Maybe backing off your pace at the start would allow for a more consistent round-over-round time and a stronger finish.

crossfit weightlifting

Again, pacing doesn’t mean you won’t finish the workout and sizzle on the ground like a piece of bacon — in fact, if you pace correctly, this is exactly what should happen. It just means you shouldn’t hit that point within the first 30 seconds of a workout.

2. Keep it Moving

The Open rewards work capacity and the ability to keep moving above anything else. The way the timeframes are constructed and with how razor thin the margins are at the top of the leaderboard, there really is no time for long breaks mid-workout.

Next, listen how I explain that the sky is blue.

I get it — this is pretty common sense to most, but even the most grizzled vets sometimes forget how valuable every rep is even if it means swallowing their pride a bit. Step down from the box, step up from burpees. I don’t care what you have to do — just don’t stop moving. Small sets and quick rest is the key to success for a lot of athletes.

3. Efficiency is King

CrossFit rewards good movers – from the Open all the way to Games-level athletes. If you want to take a trip down memory lane and have a good laugh while you’re at it, watch some highlights from past CF Games. Athletes used to struggle with things like overhead squats and ring muscle-ups. You never see that anymore.

crossfit class

The reason why is athletes realized they could never maximize their potential — whether that is placing higher at the Games or adding more weight to their snatch — by moving inefficiently. The same is true with the Open. Inefficiencies bleed power from the system. They waste time while fatiguing you more in the process. And with the way Open workouts are usually structured, you don’t have time for either. Whether it’s chicken winging on a bar muscle-up or not being able to drop into a snatch smoothly, creating dedicated skill work time to practice and refine movements will set you up on the path for success in this Open and beyond.

4. To Repeat or Not to Repeat?

I’ve flip-flopped a bunch on this idea over the past few years, and my definitive answer is… it depends. It really depends on the athlete, what their goals are and the workout in question. It’s important to not lose sight of the big picture. If you’re doing the Open to be a part of the community and add a twist to your daily training, then what are you really gaining by repeating the workout? Is repeating the workout bolstering your overall fitness level or simply providing a little ego boost? Probably not worth it.

On the other hand, with the way certain workouts have been structured in recent years (think last year’s 17.3), sometimes one or two extra reps can be the key to extend the time cap by a few extra minutes. If your placement in the Open is a priority of yours, repeating the workout and getting those few extra reps can really skyrocket you up the rankings. Again, it depends.

crossfit competition

Then you have the elites. Unless you’re all but guaranteed a spot at the Games or, at the very least, in it to compete for that spot, repeats are borderline mandatory. “But there are no redo’s at Regionals,” you hear the highbrow CrossFitter say. Great, it’s a good thing the Open isn’t Regionals then, I guess. The margins are so thin, and only getting thinner, that if you can manage to squeak out a few extra reps or shave a couple seconds off your time, that may be the difference between a birth at Regionals or sitting in the stands. Is the heartache of training all year, only to miss Regionals by a few spots, worth it just to say, “Well, at least I didn’t repeat any workouts” – especially when the format encourages you to repeat? That would be like an MLB pitcher only throwing fastballs because he thinks change-ups are a form of lying. Take the test you’re given, and if you make it to Regionals, then you can have your one-and-dones.

5. Don’t Bias Your Programming

It may be too late for this Open, so consider this next topic future proofing. The nature of CrossFit is that it is unknown and unknowable — especially the Open. Of course with everything, there are some standards year after year. Yes, you’re going to have to do thrusters — probably a lot of them. Yes, Castro will inevitably mess up explaining something during the live announcement. But for the most part, you can’t put too much stock in what was programmed the year before. Every year is so different. The timeframes change, the movements get flopped around, dumbbells get thrown into the mix.

dumbbell overhead squat

The bottom line is putting too much stock, and basing too much of your programming, on last year’s Open is setting you up for failure this year. A perfect example is bar muscle-ups. You may have been throwing them into your training each week since getting dismantled in 17.2, which is great, until you realize that this year, it’s ring muscle-ups. The key is to remember something every L1 trainer has drilled into their heads: constantly varied. Don’t fall victim to trends or metrics. Perform constantly varied, functional movements at a high intensity and you’ll set yourself up for success in this and future Opens.

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5 Reasons You Should Sign Up for the CrossFit Open

crossfit

The Open is close. Let me rephrase that: the Open is terrifyingly close. And if you’re anything like me, when Castro released the start date of the Open, your stomach dropped faster than a 225-pound barbell. Memories that I had buried deep down, vivid painful memories, came rushing back to the forefront of my mind. Yet despite everything I just said, I know, undoubtedly, I’ll be one of the first people signed up once registration opens – and I know most of you Open vets feel exactly the same way. The challenge is convincing those athletes who have never delved into the Open waters. Whether you’re on the fence, hiding behind the “maybe next year” excuse or whatever, here are five reasons you should sign up for the Open.

1. It’s What We Do

It’s human nature to overcomplicate things, to overthink them, to set up invisible roadblocks. It’s the nature of the beast and more than likely the number one thing preventing people from signing up for the Open. Yet, in the end, how is the Open any different from what we do on a day-to-day basis? The same way runners who run every day sign up for a local 5k. We as CrossFitters sign up for the Open. It’s what we do. The scope and grandness of the worldwide Open shouldn’t cloud the fact that when you boil it down, it’s just a workout — a workout like any other day…maybe with a few extra faces in the crowd to cheer you on.

muscle ups

2. A Chance to Be a Part of Something Bigger

Name another sport aside from CrossFit where every athlete — from the chiseled-from-stone top 1% to the still wet behind the ear newbies — all start from a level playing field with a global championship looming at the end. The Yankees don’t play against your beer league softball team in their quest to win the World Series. Yet the only barrier to entry in CrossFit to compete “alongside” the best in the world is a $20 entrance fee. I don’t think the magnitude and scope of the Open gets mentioned enough. It’s a beautifully egalitarian worldwide event. It’s an opportunity to be a part of something bigger, something global. No other sport offers this. It’s uniquely CrossFit and we should take advantage of it.

3. Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

Neale Donald Walsch once said, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” And that’s exactly what the Open is for a lot of people: an opportunity to step outside of their comfort zone. There’s a certain level of fear, of vulnerability, that accompanies such acts — a fear of being exposed, of not being as good as you had hoped, or even worse, of not being as good as other people had hoped. It’s a fear that paralyzes a lot of people, and in this case, prevents them from signing up for the Open.

What people don’t realize is fear can be a good thing. Fear can be the catalyst for something great, for knowing something’s worth doing. It’s the same reason Fraser dry heaves before walking out on the competition floor or why you started sweating bullets before you asked Cindy Lou to prom. Stepping outside of our comfort zone is how we grow and evolve as people. With CrossFit, it’s an opportunity to put yourself in a position to do things you never thought were possible. And at the end of the day, even if you fall short, at least you can sleep easy knowing you went for it.

4. PRs Aplenty

Stepping outside your comfort zone naturally lends itself to new experiences. The Open provides that in spades. From getting your first bar muscle-up, to hitting a new max snatch, to getting your first double under, the beauty of the Open is it sometimes forces you into doing the uncomfortable. Maybe you haven’t tried a bar muscle-up in a while and whenever they show up in normal programming, you scale down. So you decide to give it a shot when it shows up in the Open and lo and behold, you get it. That little nudge the Open provides can lead to huge milestones and I’ve seen it time and time again. I’m sure anyone that’s done the Open before can attest to that too.

olympic weightlifting

5. Opportunity for Growth

This is the big one, the real reason we all do the Open – to measure our progress year over year. CrossFit markets itself as a quantifiable, results-driven workout regimen. Although the tests may change every year, the Open remains a benchmark of progress. Consistency coupled with an unbiased program will undoubtedly yield results. It’s always fun to compete against other people at the gym (I’ve been known to have secret rivals at other gyms, and by secret rivals I mean they have no idea about it), but competing and beating yourself from last year is the real reward. The ability to look inward and find motivation there is the true source of sustainable growth. Use the Open as the culmination of all the hard work you put in the last year and a spark of motivation for the year to follow.

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Why Wait to Work on Your Goals?

People love a fresh start. A clean slate. It’s why we always wait until next week to start improving ourselves mentally and physically, or next month, or next year. New Year’s resolutions are on most of our to-do lists; but sadly, statistics say we hardly ever stick to them. Setting goals you can keep is challenging, but making change for the better is a must. How do we conquer this obstacle? There’s one answer, for sure: don’t wait until next week to start attacking your goal. Next month. 2018. Start right now. And we’re here to tell you that CrossFit is the perfect way to go. Here’s why.

Why it Can’t Wait

“New year, new me.” We’re obsessed with this, probably for a few reasons. For starters, it’s ever so climactic. There’s this dramatic countdown where you think to yourself, “Two weeks left until I turn my life around. One week. Three more days left. Better make the most of it.” It’s exciting and exhilarating; and make the most of it, we do. When we know we have limited time left to enjoy our current habits, we live it up. I’ll be the first to admit that in the past, as I was finishing off a box of Oreos, I thought, “Oh well. I won’t be able to do this anymore come the new year, so I might as well enjoy it now.”

Aside from the excitement we feel simply anticipating a big change coming up, procrastinating also gives us an excuse not to change for the time being. We can continue staying in our comfort zone, where we eat cake for dinner and never set foot inside a gym.

Adam Mansy

The problem arrives once the new year starts. Attacking this new project of getting leaner or eating healthier or quitting smoking is fun at first, because it’s new. But the novelty inevitably wears off. Life goes on as normal, and you make a startling realization: “Oh, I have to work hard at this every day.” By February, we’ve lost interest.

While the new year may seem like the most opportune time to adopt healthier habits, in reality, it’s just another day. You don’t need a new year to be a new you. You need to change your habits, plain and simple; and you can do that right now.

Ready to make some changes? Good for you! Don’t go joining that globo gym just yet, though. Here’s why you should give CrossFit some serious consideration.

Why CrossFit?

You know that excitement we just talked about that comes from doing something new and unfamiliar? Imagine getting that all the time. That’s CrossFit. Constantly varied. Constantly fun. You don’t have the chance to get bored or lose interest, because every day you go in, you get to do something different. On a similar note, all of the programming is done for you! Many of us tend to underestimate how hard it is to program our own workouts.

Jess Coughlan

Something else CrossFit gyms have that others don’t is experienced coaches. If your technique is off or they have a helpful cue, you’ll fare much better than you ever could on your own. Nobody can catch all of their own mistakes. A coach, however, does it for a living.

Lastly, there’s the camaraderie. The CrossFit community is unlike any other. They will become your family. They’ll push you. They’ll be the reason you show up day after day. You can’t get this kind of family anywhere else.

There’s no time like the present. Find a local affiliate by your home or office and drop in for a class today. You’ll be glad you did.

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How Can Interns Help Build Your Community?

There are times when people look experienced on their CV but perform differently in real life. If we rely on just that paper, we might end up disappointed that our expectations for the person are not met. Internships are a way for CrossFit boxes to gain competent coaches. Instead of going through the typical hiring process, internships eliminate the skill gap that box owners usually find when hiring a new coach. That said, the best way to have good coaches is to train them yourself.

For most boxes, an internship program would require these interns to act as a watchful eye during classes. They can also act as a shadow or assistant coach during one-on-one sessions. The required number of hours varies; but throughout the program, interns will be given continuous feedback. At the end of the internship, the box can decide who has the best skills and culture fit.

Here are three ways interns help build your community.

1. More Than Coaching

Aside from providing a gym much needed manpower, interns can also take a role in building your tribe. Since internships also tests for culture fit, those who fit the bill are your best candidates to help build a sense of community in your gym.

With interns assisting you in large classes, you can focus more on teaching and building knowledge, while they can focus on making sure that no one is doing things incorrectly.

When you’re teaching basic classes, the interns also relearn and gain the basic coaching skills. We all know that the only way to improve at something is by doing it.

2. Community Through Empathy

The presence of interns can help newbies at your gym become more comfortable.

When you have a great box filled with a lot of amazing people who are super supportive, it’s easy to forget that it’s not an automatic process for everyone. When you’re teaching classes, you may not notice the person who heads straight home when it ends.

Interns are in a position where they are learning something new (in this case, coaching). That makes them relate better to those who are just starting in the box. This empathy can urge interns to make active efforts in reaching out and making the newbies feel included.

3. Group Effort

While coaches build knowledge, interns can build bonds; and make no mistake about it: interns can contribute to the relationships within your box immensely. It truly is a collaborative effort. While you, as the coach or owner, may be responsible for building knowledge, you can work with your interns to grow the community, develop bonds, and create an overall more welcoming environment.

While it’s always nice to add people to your team who already know the ropes, remember that we all start at the beginning. There are a lot of wonderful people out there who belong in a leadership position in the box, but they need a little help. Bringing them into your gym as an intern is a win-win.

Main image: MaxEffort Fitness/Instagram

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This is How Mat Fraser Warms Up

We all have our own way of warming up. Some of us like a light jog; others have a stretching routine. Sam Dancer likes to take a 455-pound front squat for a spin. No big deal. Then there’s Mat Fraser. In a recent Instagram post, Mat shared his warm-up while at CrossFit Mayhem, and his friends even got in on the action. We spy with our little eye Rich Froning; and Lindy Barber, is that you?

Mayhem knows how to make fitness fun. Need to get warmed up before a big WOD? An hour and a half of handball should do.

An hr and half later… well warmed up. #handball #HWPO

A post shared by Mathew Fraser (@mathewfras) on

Main image: Mat Fraser/Facebook

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Mat Fraser at Mayhem: A Recap

Mat Fraser recently sat down with Rich Froning, Elly Kabboord-Kearcher and Jimmy Hensel for the fifth episode of Froning and Friends. In the episode, Mat talked about his life since moving to Cookeville, as well as his beginnings in CrossFit. Mathew Fraser earned the title of Fittest Man on Earth at the 2016 and 2017 Reebok CrossFit Games.

In the show, we got to learn a little bit about Mat’s roots — including his parents. His parents were skating partners, and they seemed to have gone on quite an adventure together. They each endured their own injuries, from his dad’s broken rib to his mom’s broken hip. Nothing got in their way, though. His parents went pro and did their fair share of competing. When they retired from skating, Mat’s dad became a coach while his mother went to medical school and became a doctor.

Of course, his recent move to Cookeville came up. Moving has been a positive experience for Mat. He’s made friends with his neighbors, and one of them even does CrossFit.

Mat’s Beginnings in CrossFit

Rather than starting out with CrossFit, Mat started out in Olympic weightlifting. CrossFit was something he stumbled upon by mistake. As a weightlifter, his parents were very supportive. His dad brought him to the gym to train and watch his son in action.

Although his parents were encouraging, Mat shares they told him to make sure he had an education. They wanted him to have something to fall back on in case his career ended earlier than planned, especially considering injury is always a possibility. “I took my college education seriously,” Mat reveals. He took up a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Vermont.

Asked how he became an engineer, Mat said, “At the end of high school, I realized I was good at math but I can’t read.” When someone mentioned engineering to him, he decided to go for it. As an engineer, he expected to be working 9-5 but ended up getting opportunities to travel and do fun things as a CrossFit athlete.

“Incredible Gratitude”

For Mat’s first CrossFit competition, his old gym owner signed him up. “I didn’t have $50,” he shares. The gym owner did it with one condition. Mat had to use the competition prize money to buy real CrossFit shoes. The entire time, he was trying to do lifts and train in Air Max 90s. For his first competition, he won a cash prize of $500.

When Mat started CrossFit, he said it created a life for him that he never even dreamed about. From not having money to register for a competition, he’s now traveling the world, experiencing amazing things and seeing great places.

Elly noted, “You seem to have incredible gratitude for what the sport has allowed you to do,” and Mat agreed. When asked about the future, however, he does not see himself owning a gym or even coaching. When his time comes to pull back from his competitive life, he wants to be ready to do it. And certainly, Fraser wants to avoid forcing himself to compete because he doesn’t know his next step.

When it comes to what he’ll do next, Mat only said, “If you asked me five years ago, I would have never dreamed of this… In five years? I have no idea.” As for now, his main motivation it that he loves training. “It’s a great job and it makes money.”

For the rest of the show, Mat talked about his favorite moment from the past Games where he saw himself improving and dominating new workouts. Fraser has come a long way; and we’re guessing that with his recent move to Cookeville, there are even bigger things to come.

Main image: CrossFit Mayhem/YouTube

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Finding Fitness at 40

When you’re around the age of 40, your find yourself with a lot of responsibilities — with your spouses and children, your parents and your career. For a lot of us, we’ve pushed our athletic years out of sight and at some point, fitness became less of a priority.

However, now that we’re here, we feel like we’re slowing down because of aging. Our body might tend to punish us for unhealthy habits that we used to be able to get away with. Then we realize that taking care of our health is nonnegotiable. We often wonder if it’s still possible to make a place for exercise in our busy schedule. The fact is, it is.

Getting into fitness, at any age, can be made much easier if we find a physical activity that is a good fit for our lifestyle. We also benefit much more by doing activities or exercises that we actually enjoy.

Enter CrossFit

CrossFit has helped countless people develop a habit of exercising regularly even if they previously thought it impossible. The approach, the competent instructors and the great community that CrossFit has make it possible for most people to get into exercise, regardless of their age, sex and fitness level.

With scalable workouts and great instruction, age really is just a number.

Some might say CrossFit is a scary cult, but it’s really all about the community. While everyone is helpful and welcoming, it also introduces a drive to always strive to exceed your personal best. The small competitive fire that CrossFit ignites is healthy. It makes you less aware of your age and puts you in a place that wants you to keep on going for the long run.

The Mindset

Working on your fitness makes you better at life in general. With functional fitness, you’ll notice that it’ll be easier to do everyday tasks like run to catch a bus, walk up a flight of stairs and pick up your child and carry them.

Aside from that, your body benefits from having a healthier heart and lungs. Being healthier also means having a more enjoyable life to spend with your family.

Mental health comes into play, too. The general mindset that exercise brings is uplifting. It makes you realize that a lot of things are possible if you just put the work in. There is a drive to always beat your personal best and become your strongest possible self. The level of dedication translates into your career, your family and other relationships as well. CrossFit isn’t just about the gym. It’s about life.

Finding fitness is possible at any age. We are never too busy as long as we know our priorities. If we are to make the decision that our fitness is going to be one of our top priorities, then we must make time.

In the end, the one who will benefit the most is ourselves.

Main image: Jeb Simmons/Instagram

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CrossFit Athlete Brooke Ence in ‘Justice League’

Just this week, Zack Snyder’s Justice League hit theaters, released November 16th. We already knew the movie would be epic; and as an added bonus, CrossFit Games competitor Brooke Ence plays the role of an Amazon, a super-powerful woman. It turns out this CrossFit athlete spent her last offseason filming in Europe!

Some of her latest Instagram posts show her with the Amazon costume, as well as walking down the red carpet showing off her #gainz. This isn’t her first time on the big screen, either, as she also appeared in Wonder Woman as a character named Penthiselea, who was — you got it —  an Amazonian warrior.

While it might seem strange seeing a CrossFitter in the movies, Ence actually has a background in theater and dance. While her life obviously took a different turn, this athlete is multi-talented and clearly has what it takes to wow on the big screen.

Main image: Brooke Ence/Instagram

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How to Add “Spice” to a WOD

Every WOD is designed to give you an efficient workout. It’s so effective because it’s simple, you never have to create a workout plan for yourself and it’s highly effective. To keep things from becoming monotonous, there are things you can always do to easily up the challenge.

7 Ways to Spice Up Your WOD

1. Add Set Rests

Rest between sets is an important part of every WOD. It’s not about going fast; it’s about being able to go back. Consider the time it will take you to finish the first round. You can start with a 1:1 work to rest ratio.

The rest period makes every round even more intense. How? It allows you to recover enough to do each round with as much intensity as possible. You’ll be amazed with the results.

2. Go Unbroken

Force unbroken movements as much as possible. Choose one movement in the WOD that you can do or at least would challenge yourself to do without breaking it up into sets. It also forces you to rest in between sets, allowing you do to each round with more intensity.

3. Record Two Scores

Or more. Find a different record to set or break. Challenge yourself differently each time. For this, you can start out with trying to set a record with your first round time and the total time. This will push you to work better and faster. Get yourself out of a rut.

4. Start Rounds on a Fixed Clock

Decide that, for example, every round should start every four minutes. This encourages you to do rounds faster so that you can have longer rest periods.

5. Grab a Buddy

Do your WODs with people who you can have some friendly competition with. These people can encourage you do things faster, better and with more intensity. It also provides that extra accountability when they call you out for not giving 100%. If your friends happen to be busy, take it as an opportunity to make new ones.

crossfit WOD

6. Turn It Up!

Play music you like or get an app to choose songs for you. Challenge yourself to keep up with the pace of the music. Sing along if your lungs can take it. The point here is to have fun.

7. Try Something New

Scale up or replace a movement with something that’s a bit more difficult. Challenge yourself to do a more advanced version of that movement you’ve been putting off. You are a CrossFit athlete, after all.

There are numerous ways to make every WOD more exciting even if you’ve done it multiple times. Turn things into a game or challenge yourself to break records. Introduce healthy habits or break bad ones. It’s all about improving your skills and learning new ones each day.

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Week 3 Make Your Mark Challenge

Welcome to Week 3 of the Make Your Mark challenge! Week 1 tested our strength with King Kong, and Week 2 was all about conditioning, with a rowing test. This week, you’re in for a real treat: we challenge you to do as many burpees as you can in one minute.
make your mark challenge

They get a lot of hate, but we think burpees are awesome. Think about it: half of a burpee is falling down. Anyone can do that. The second half is standing up — no problemo. Really, the hardest part is to just keep moving. They can be sloppy. They can be slow. But as long as you keep moving, you’re doing your job.

Another reason we love burpees is because you can do them anywhere — which is why we want to see everyone tackling the Week 3 Make Your Mark challenge! Do it at home. Do it at school. Do it at work. Just do it.

Don’t forget to share your results on social media using the hashtag #TheWODLife. Good luck!