What does Workout 14.2 have in store for competitors this week?
Last week’s workout was a 10 minute AMRAP of two fairly technical movements – the snatch and the double-under. There’s no doubt that this week’s workout will be just as challenging.
There’s still plenty of time for any of the nearly 200,000 competitors in the Open to earn a spot at their Regional competition. We’re sure that the competition is going to be fierce – and no doubt exciting!
We at the WOD Life predict a few things about this week’s workout:
• Workout 14.2 will be longer than last week’s workout. We predict an AMRAP of 15-18 minutes covering three different exercises. We’ve seen longer AMRAPs in the past, especially when three or more exercises were programmed.
• A longer workout allows Open competitors to test both their physical and mental capabilities. The WOD Life predicts that as the competition continues the workouts will become increasingly difficult in order to separate the best of the best for Regional competition.
• 14.2 will not incorporate burpees. Mainsite programming has scheduled burpees for the Wednesday WOD, so our guess is that other movements will be used.
• Last week’s movements were challenging for some new competitors, as they both required a fair degree of skill. This week’s movements will be less challenging in terms of skill, but just as physically demanding.
• Like last week’s workout, 14.2 will pair an Olympic lift with gymnastic movements. There are still plenty of competitors in the running for Regional competition, and we predict that this Open workout will play to a wide range of strengths and skills.
So what’s the WOD Life’s take on Workout 14.2?
Our best guess is that this week’s workout will be a combination of wall balls, deadlifts, and pull-ups. We predict the repetitions of the wall balls and pull-ups to be high, and the deadlift load to be fairly light. The AMRAP will be longer, allowing for multiple rounds and plenty of time to test your physical and mental capacity!
We know all of our readers here at The WOD Life will dominate Workout 14.2, no matter what the Open has in store! Good luck, and make sure to check back often for more coverage of the CrossFit Open!
Hit up The WOD Life, for everything you need throughout the CrossFit Open!
The results for Workout 14.1 have been tallied and posted. Congratulations to everyone who completed the WOD! There were a few standout performances in the Australian region.
Kara Webb is leading the Individual Women’s competition with an incredible 431 reps, followed closely by Angela Hudson and Kate Mitchell, with 403 and 401 reps respectively. In the Men’s Individual Competition, Dean Linder-Leighton is leading the group with 437 reps. Rob Forte and Michael Mikaere are tied for the second-place position with 424 reps each. The stakes are high, with only top 48 individuals advancing to Regional competition. To learn more about the top individual athletes and keep up to date with individual scores in the Australian region, visit the Leaderboard page here.
Source: The CrossFit GamesSource: The CrossFit Games
There are an incredible number of talented teams competing in our region this year!
In first place is Schwartzs CrossFit Melbourne, hailing from Caufield South. The fourteen members of the team racked up an impressive 2217 repetitions in Workout 14.1. The team has qualified the past two years for the CrossFit Games and is shooting for a third time this year! Head coach Ben Schwartz says that his affiliate’s ability to develop stellar athletes is driven by “an intense desire to bring the best out of every client”.
His team this year is what he describes as a “mix of experienced athletes and newer athletes.” No doubt this year’s competition will be exciting to watch as Schwartz’s teams attempt to capture the top slot in Australia for the third year in a row. To learn more about Coach Ben Schwartz’s top team, check out this article. CrossFit Melbourne has some stiff competition with CrossFit Active from Artarmon, NSW, holding second place with 2200 reps. The top three is rounded out by Tropic Thunder from CrossFit Townsville in North Queensland with 2149 reps.
Source: The CrossFit Games
This year’s competition is already shaping up to be extremely dynamic and competitive. Make sure to stay up-to-date with the latest information about the CrossFit Open on The WOD Life!
The clock has finished counting down, and all 14.1 scores have been submitted. CrossFit Open newbie, Alison Wood share’s her experience of 14.1.
The first CrossFit Open workout of 2014 is done and dusted. We have all been reading about athlete’s scores of 300 and 400 plus, chatting about how Rich Fronning couldn’t even beat his 11.1 score; and with the likes of Kara Webb’s scoring 431, Chad Mackay 400 and Samantha Briggs’ 472; I can’t help but laugh at my own attempt.
You see, the CrossFit Open for 2014 is my first attempt at an Open. I’ve been training on and off for a couple of years, but decided 2014 was the year I would challenge myself. “The Open” is like a far away, mystical land; who knows what CrossFit HQ is going to throw at us this year? Everyone at my box was encouraged to register. So I did.
When I first saw what the workout was, my reaction was of surprise, “Oh 25kg that’s not too bad!”. But then I saw my previous 1RM back in January for a Power Snatch was 35kg I got a little concerned. Oh and double-unders, I’ve only recently started to really stick them!
I train at CrossFit Darwin, one of five CrossFit boxes in the Darwin area. We had Saturday right through to Monday lunch time to attempt 14.1; with a lot of members (including myself) attempting the WOD a couple of times. I first attempted 14.1 on Saturday morning. I got there early to roll out, mobilize, stretch and practice my double-unders just to be sure.
It was after about 20 minutes, waiting for others to have a turn before it was mine. I chalked up my hands, grabbed my speed rope and skipped for my life! After reading TWL’s tips and tricks article I thought my snatches would be my ‘rest’, but it turned out the other way. I didn’t have a ‘plan’ for my snatches either, and in hindsight found myself resting too much. The first couple of rounds are literally a blur for me, I can’t even remember doing those snatches. It wasn’t until the third round I remember telling myself 5 snatches at a time and “breathe”. I smashed out the double-unders for the fourth round and picked up the bar for a snatch and got 1/2 way through when the click ticked over to 10:00 minutes.
I scored 165 in the end, doing all power snatches and was pretty happy with my result! Just the thought of busting out double those reps to score 300+ makes me want to vomit! You see, Samantha Drescher trains at my box, and after seeing her score 363 (sitting at 29th place in Australia), I was awestruck by the speed and finesse of her double-unders and snatches. These ‘athletes’ make 25kg look like 1kg!
Monday lunchtime I re-attempted after feeling like I ‘rested’ too much on Saturday. I just wanted to try my hardest to see if I could beat my previous score of 165, to try and get in a couple of snatches in that fourth round. However, Monday lunch time was hot and humid, my traps and arms were fatigued still from Saturday and my double-unders were suffering. I clean and jerked most of the lifts and only scored 151.
A few lesson’s I learnt from CrossFit Open 14.1:
Don’t be discouraged by your score. If you tried your hardest that’s all the matters. If you’re still learning double-unders, consider it a great time to practice; or if you feel like 25kg is out of your league for power snatches, clean and jerk your heart out!
Have a plan, and a backup plan. Kelly, the box owner told us this one.
Watch your breathing. It’s easy to get lost in the moment and forget to breathe, or find yourself breathing super fast. Count slowly to three and inhale and exhale.
We’re all ‘athletes’. We get up, chalk our hands and give these open WODs a red hot go. After all that’s what it’s about.
*My current standing is 35/60 at Crossfit Darwin, 3573/5962 Individual Women in Australia and 40,888/71,320 Individual Women Worldwide.
How did you find 14.1? Was it what you expected? Was it your first time entering The CrossFit Open too?
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Alison Wood, 27 is a novice CrossFitter who goes to Crossfit Darwin, marketing professional and crafter currently residing in Darwin, NT. Follow her own blog North of Here for lifestyle and fitness posts or join her on Facebook.
Life asRX sponsored athlete Fitness Lonnie, destroys CrossFit Games Open Workout 14.1. Lonnie sets a WORLD RECORD with an unbelievable 642 Reps, surpassing Rich Froning’s 444 reps by almost 200.
Looks Legit? Will we see Fitness Lonnie a top the podium at the CrossFit Games in 2014?
One of the amazing aspects of CrossFit, is the insights we are afforded into the lives of the top athletes. There is no one, who we desire to learn more about than “The Champ” Rich Froning.
The CrossFit Games have released a short documentary, Rich Froning – Day at the Office.
The documentary involves CrossFit HQ Guru Pat Sherwood, spending a few days in Rich’s home town of Cookeville, Tennessee. Sherwood gets a glimpse of a day in the life of Froning, his workouts, his diet and his down time. Drug tests, hockey and Donuts, oh and lifting some heavy stuff.
This insight proves that there is no “magic formula” just hard work! Check out Rich Froning – Day at the Office as he looks to take out a fourth straight CrossFit Games Title.
Women:
30 double-unders
55-lb /25kg power snatches, 15 reps
Masters Women:
30 double-unders
45-lb /21kg power snatches, 15 reps
The WOD Life wants all of our readers to be successful in the first Open workout, so we’ve compiled a list of tips, tricks, and references for you.
Before you attempt 14.1…
• Think about your strengths and weaknesses. Both snatches and double-unders are complex movements that require precision and skill. Which are you more efficient at?
• Pick a “rest” movement. This is the movement that you are most skilled at, and will be the portion of the workout where you will “rest” – that is, where you will reset mentally, control your breathing, and prepare for the more challenging movement.
• Pace yourself. Some athletes prefer to strategize by breaking down repetitions by the minute; others set a number of rounds that they would like to achieve over the course of the workout. Generate a plan and set realistic goals.
• Take the time to adjust your equipment before you begin. Do not give yourself an excuse to take a break from working to readjust your weights or tighten your collars. This adds up – if you readjust for five seconds before every set of snatches, you will be losing nearly a minute of work time.
• Warm up. You know your body better than anyone else – make sure you take the time to listen to it before you begin the workout to ensure that you are warm and mobile. Mechanical correctness in this movement is key, and the foundation of proper form is flexibility and your ability to stabilise the load.
Check out CrossFit’s article on the popular Burgener Warmup for snatches here.
During the workout…
• Conserve energy where you can, as efficiency in both of these movements is key. Focus on keeping your feet together and your wrists and arms close to your sides during the double-unders. Think about getting the bar into your hip pocket and exploding it into the overhead position during your snatch. As my good friend says, give the bar a ride!
• Remember the pacing plan you created before the workout? Adjust if necessary, but don’t throw it all out the window. You created a solid strategy based on your skill level and your comfort with the movements – now stick to it! Don’t get discouraged – remember, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
• Watch your breathing. You should be gasping for air in the last few minutes of the workout, not at minute three. Focus on taking slow, deep breaths during your rest movement to control your heart rate and efficiently use oxygen.
• Know if, and when, to rest. If you are thinking about adjusting your plates, grabbing a drink of water, or taking off your shirt, DON’T. It is normal to be nervous and to want a mental break; if you are still performing to standard, keep going. If you are repeatedly failing reps and there is still time left on the clock, think about resetting for five to ten seconds. Ten seconds of reset could be the difference between a failed rep and an additional 20 to 30 seconds spent regrouping.
• Watch your lumbar curve. Most athletes will be tempted to use the touch-and-go method during the snatches to quickly knock out reps, but if you chose speed over form you could be setting yourself up for failure. The weights are light, but there is still the risk of creating excessive tightness in your lower back. This uneccessary strain will occur if your pull is sloppy and your lumbar curve is comprised.
For more mechanical advices on the snatch, check out Wil Fleming’s quick guide to the snatch here.
After the workout…
• Recovery is key, especially if you plan on attempting the workout again. Many athletes will attempt to do the workout two or three times in order to maximize their score. Make sure you have a plan for recovery – and make sure you implement that plan – after your first attempt. It’s critical to ensure you are ready to take on the workout a second or third time.
• Drink water. It sounds simple, right? Chances are you didn’t drink during the WOD in order to avoid periods of rest. Grab that water bottle now, and drink up!
• Give some high fives, or some fist bumps, or some chest bumps! Congratulate your fellow CrossFitters (and yourself) on their amazing work after the clock stops. Mutual support and encouragement is key to success – after all, CrossFit is built on the concept of community.
Here are some more Tips and Strategies from our friends at Barbell Shrugged:
Good luck to all of our readers! We can’t wait to see how you excel in this year’s Open!
The 2014 Open is around the corner! What will CrossFit Open Workout 14.1 be?
Since 2011, the CrossFit Open has provided an opportunity for everyone – no matter age, location, or fitness level – to compete for the chance to advance to Regional competitions and ultimately, the CrossFit Games. This year 48 men, 48 women and 30 teams will qualify for their respective Regional competitions by taking part in the five Open workouts. Thursday, February 27th (USA PACIFIC TIME) marks the first day of the CrossFit Open, and it’s a date many have been anxiously awaiting. It’s when CrossFit HQ will announce the first workout of the year: 14.1.
Past trends can help predict future results.
What does the Open have in store this year? There are a few trends that surface when looking at past Open workouts that allow us to make predictions about this year’s workout.
An open workout will need to test fitness – that is, increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains.
Workouts generally consist of frequently used movements like:
Clean and Jerk
Toes to Bar
Shoulder to Overhead
Chest to Bar Pull-ups
Double-unders
Push-ups
Overhead Squats
Since nearly 200,000 are expected to compete in the 2014 Open, the movements selected will need to be achievable by wide variety of individuals. This means that more complex and advanced movements, such as chest-to-bar pull ups, muscle-ups, and double-unders will probably not be tested.
The workout will last approximately 10 minutes. In 2013 and 2012 the majority of the AMRAPs were 7 to 15 minutes in length.
Burpees are commonly used in Open workouts, and for the past two years the first workout of the Open has incorporated burpees. This could mean one of two things – either CrossFit HQ will stay true to form and incorporate burpees, or they will surprise us by mixing it up. Other commonly used movements include box jumps, wall balls, snatches, and thrusters.
Open workouts typically group two or three exercises together. In the past combinations of lifts and gymnastic movements have been common, such as thrusters and pull ups or deadlifts and box jumps.
So what predictions do we make for 14.1 here at The WOD Life?
Our best guess is that 14.1 will be a 7 to 10 minute AMRAP of two basic and common exercises such as wall balls and box jumps.
Prepare for the unknown and the unknowable.
It’s not certain what challenges are in store for 2014 Open competitors, but it is certain that the Open this year will be more exciting than any other. With nearly 200,000 competitors from thousands of affiliates spanning 17 regions, the Open will no doubt embody the spirit of CrossFit by bringing together a broad, inclusive community dedicated to excellence in all endeavours.
Perchmount Fit – Record your CrossFit Open Workouts
Introducing the “Game Changer” from The WOD Life, the Perchmount Fit! This is the newest piece of equipment labelled a must have your gym bag or affiliate. It’s one of those pieces of equipment which helps you record your workout, without having to ask a friend or rest against some weight plates. The Perchmount Fit is a Universal Phone Mount, suitable for a wide range of Mobile Phones including both iPhones and Samsung.
With the CrossFit Open less than a handful of days away, this is the perfect piece of kit to pick up. CrossFit HQ now require any athletes aspiring to make it to Regionals to record their CrossFit Open Workouts. This device to take the pressure off your video recording and focus on achieving the best result in your workout. No more need for extra hands on deck down at your affiliate, this nifty gadget makes it super easy across the 5 weeks! Do your coach and judges a favour and pick up a few of these for your box!
The WOD Life are always looking for innovative products that make your lives easier! Record your workouts, track your movements, work on your skills and take the obligatory CrossFit selfies! This has been labelled the “game changer” at TWL HQ!
How does the Perchmount Fit work? Easy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prcnBirey1g
Here is another example of how an affiliate utilised the Perchmount Fit to record CrossFit Open Workout 13.5 in 2013.
You can purchase the Perchmount Fit at The WOD Life for $29.95.
Still considering signing up for the CrossFit Open this year? Alison Wood is signing up for her first CrossFit Open this year and shares with us her 10 Reasons to Enter the CrossFit Open!
It is one of the biggest “community building” events in CrossFit, it’s a chance to meet new people, push yourself to the limits, its a stepping stone to regionals and a chance to see a the best version of yourself competing up against the rest of the world’s CrossFit athletes.
Here’s just a few reason’s why you should pay $20 and give the CrossFit Open a go:
1. You learn something about yourself
Your strengths, weaknesses are put to the test. You really are capable of more than you think. And when you sign up for the CrossFit Open, you’re bound to find out just exactly how much more you can accomplish before the clock runs out.
2. It gets you competing (again)
Gone are the days of Cross Country runs at schools, Swimming Carnivals and Athletics Day. When we become adults, we often don’t feel the desire to compete (other than social sports such as Football, Tennis or Netball for example). We tend to forget about thrill of physical competition, but there really is something about putting yourself out there and crossing that line that sparks motivation.
As I sit and register for the CrossFit Open myself for the first time, I get a little petrified, what if I fail? But really, I know that’s silly to think that, we’re taught as kids that it’s ok to feel nervous before a competition, and it’s ok to fail. All you have to do is try your best. As adults, we believe that we’re not allowed to fail, especially at things that are meant to be fun; so we avoid the risk of taking those chances. So put yourself out there, take a risk!
3. Expand your friendship circle
Last time I checked I’ve made heaps of new friends by starting CrossFit, and recently after going to different session times I’ve met even more!
We all know that working out in a group is a lot more fun that by yourself, and research shows that we tend to mimic the qualities of the 5 people we spend the most time with. So… if you signup for the Crossfit Open, you’ll find out who else really is committed to getting stronger and fitter!
And we all know we want to surround ourselves with other crazy people who think it’s fun to do 7 minutes of burpees…
4. It’s a chance to compete with the best of the best
You know your 1RM deadlift, and your FRAN time. But how do you stack up with some of Australia (and the word for that matter) best CrossFit athletes? The CrossFit Open is an awesome opportunity to see where you stack up. Just think about it, here is no other sport where beginners, novice and elite athletes get to compete against each other doing the same workouts, in the same time limit, using the same weights.
5. You will probably surprise yourself with what you are capable of
You may think you’re not good enough. Well that’s not being true to yourself is it? CrossFit Open WODs are specifically designed so that the majority of CrossFitters should be able to handle them. If the weights in the workouts are close to (or the equivalent of) your best lifts, don’t just assume you can’t. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt and challenge yourself.
We all know that in most WODs we push ourselves beyond our comfort zones, well add another level of motivation to that and you have yourself a CrossFit Open WOD!
That being said, as a competitor, it is your responsibility to know if/when the weights are near your maxes and make sure you speak to your coach/judge ahead of time. If you are a coach, it is part of your job to know this about your athletes and make sure they are being judged/overseen by someone who can talk them through each rep and ensure they rest between attempts to help reduce risk of injury.
6. You get your own ‘Athlete’ page
What is cooler than having your own professional “athlete” page to pop in your max lifts, WOD times and stats?
7. A true benchmark of your progress
If this is your first time entering The CrossFit Open, then you’re going see that each of the 5 workouts released will be rigidly scored by one of the coaches at your affiliate. This will be a clean, effective and true evaluation of where you are at right now with your fitness and the quality of your movements.
8. Accountability
The whole philosophy behind CrossFit, and the way a box is set up is to promote accountability. You workout with your mates each day, the coaches get to know you, and the way each session is run; it’s all about being accountable to yourself.
Taking CrossFit one step further and signing up for the Open is another step towards accountability. It means you make a mental and physical pact to take on a new challenge. You are committing yourself to your fitness, and taking this step can only bring positive changes!
9. The difference between Training & Working out
There are people that go to a gym, day in-day out and go to classes, run on the treadmill or head to the free weights area and lift dumbbells. There are some that go for a run for fun; there are others who might be training for a marathon. There is a distinct difference between training for something and workout out.
When training for something you may have to plan your meals, skip out on social events to train and step up your training. The point it comes to is you’ve set yourself a goal – so go for it!
10. It’s just FUN
Really, this is what it comes down to. The whole experience is just FUN, The Open, Regionals, and the CrossFit Gamers themselves. When it comes down to it, give it your best and have a blast!
In the end, The Open is something every CrossFitter should experience it, at least once! Join me this year as I blog about a newbie’s experience’s competing in The Open for the first time.
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Alison Wood, 27 is a novice CrossFitter who goes to Crossfit Darwin, marketing professional and crafter currently residing in Darwin, NT. Follow her own blog North of Here for lifestyle and fitness posts or join her on Facebook.
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