The 2018 CrossFit Open draws nearer, and we’re officially three weeks out. The venues and athletes for the live announcements have been revealed, boxes are preparing for what’s sure to be an exciting event and everyone is making their predictions for what movements we might see. Our friends over at WODPrep wanted to help out with that last one, so they went digging and found the seven movements that have appeared in every single Open. While nothing is guaranteed, their findings could very likely reveal what we’ll see in this year’s Open and thus what we should prepare for. So, if you’re squeezing in that last-minute skill work before the Open, these are perhaps seven movements you definitely shouldn’t neglect:
Also of note are deadlifts and burpees, which have made it into six Opens, and box jumps and cleans (power/full/dumbbell), which have been in five. Other movements like calorie rows, overhead squats, walking lunges and push-ups have been in four Opens or fewer.
As WODPrep explains, the reason we see the same movements over and over again is pretty logical: they’re easy to standardize and judge. Take double-unders, for instance: did the rope pass under your feet twice? If so, it counts. If not, it’s a no-rep. It’s a similar story with toes-to-bar, which are about as self-explanatory as it comes. It’s understandable CrossFit wants to stay away from more ambiguous movements, especially since we already see questionable judging calls being made every so often.
Nervous about some of these movements? Don’t be. In fact, last time we chatted with WODPrep, they named double-unders, bar muscle-ups and ring muscle-ups specifically as three movements you can improve before the Open (in addition to kipping pull-ups). You can also check out some of The WOD Life’s videos on YouTube for easy breakdowns of these movements, like this one on double-unders.
Or this one on ring muscle-ups.
The clock is ticking, but there’s still time. Zero in on your technique, plan how you’re going to pace yourself and never, ever forget what the Open is truly about: having a good time.
More exciting news has arrived regarding the 2018 CrossFit Open live events: CrossFit has confirmed the athletes who will be going head to head for the five announcements!
18.1: Samantha Briggs vs. Kristin Holte
18.2: Patrick Vellner vs. Noah Ohlsen
18.3: Kyle Kasperbaur vs. Neal Maddox
18.4: Björgvin Karl Gudmundsson vs. Scott Panchik
18.5: Annie Thorisdottir vs. Sara Sigmundsdottir vs. Katrin Davidsdottir
Competition will be STIFF. With these athletes having spent significant time on the Games floor as well as the podium, a nail-biting competition is all but guaranteed. Who are you rooting for?
The 2018 CrossFit Open is mere weeks away; and the worldwide competition open to every athlete, newbie to pro, promises the toughest events yet — both physically and mentally. This is the first step to finding the fittest on earth — a highly coveted title that comes with serious accolades and a huge cash prize.
As CrossFit has grown, so too has the total prize purse. This year, it’s gone up another $200,000, for a total of $2.6 million. Last year, the champion took home $285,000. This year, they’ll win a whopping $300,000. Second place gets $100,000, and third takes home $75,000. Cash prizes are awarded through 20th place for individuals.
Individual event finishes also include cash rewards: $3,000 for first, $2,000 for second, and $1,000 for third.
The top teams will walk away with checks of their own. First place leaves with $100,000; second gets $60,000; third wins $30,000; fourth receives $20,000; and fifth wins $15,000. This will of course then be split amongst the team members.
CrossFit didn’t forget about Masters, either. First place for the 35-39 division gets $25,000; for every other division, first takes $10,000. Second and third also win cash prizes.
It promises to be an exciting and adrenaline-pumping season, as always. Have you signed up for the Open yet?
Each year, the CrossFit Open kicks off a new week with a live announcement from different boxes around the world. Starting February 22, at 5:00 p.m. PT, Dave Castro will announce the week’s event, and previously selected athletes will compete against each other to set the first scores of the week. CrossFitters of all levels have anxiously awaited the announcement of the venues, and they’re finally here.
While tickets will be available for sale for 18.1 (at a later date), there will be no tickets sold to the public for the live events of 18.2, 18.3, 18.4, and 18.5. You can still watch all of the announcements online! More ticketing information, as well as the release of the athlete choices, will be coming soon. Stay tuned!
It’s an exciting time of year: the CrossFit Open is upon us! Your members are anxiously awaiting the announcement of 18.1, cramming in that last-minute work on their double-unders, muscle-ups and pistols. What about you? You as the box owner have your own responsibilities, too. What should you prepare ahead of time to ensure the Open goes smoothly at your gym? Fortunately, CrossFit is providing us with some expert tips to make for a great event.
Leading Up to the CrossFit Open
Before February 22 arrives, there are a number of things you should prepare for.
Is Your Affiliate Caught Up on Business Matters?
You should be in good standing with CrossFit Inc. and up to date on fees and insurance. Be sure you have the right email address on file with CF so that you can register yourself as an affiliate manager and validate scores.
Have You Done the Judges Course?
All coaches and athletes who want to judge will need to complete this. If you want to validate scores, you will need to as well. Additionally, you should read the rulebook and tell your staff and athletes to do the same.
Announcing heat registration, and allowing members to sign up for a heat ahead of time.
Updating your website and social media pages with a current drop-in schedule.
Announcing when scores must be submitted by. You should know with certainty what the deadline is for validating scores.
Lastly, make sure you have the supplies you’ll need: clipboards, pens, paper and ink to print scorecards, etc. These should be ready to go the night prior.
The Day Of
Designate the necessary area specifically for members doing the Open workouts, and signify lanes by taping the floor. Go over the workout with the entire team, including the movement standards. Make sure everyone is on the same page regarding how to keep score and what the tiebreaker is.
When it comes to the CrossFit Open, early preparation is your best friend. Avoid waiting until the last minute to make plans, and your events each week should be relatively stress-free. If you’d like more information, visit CrossFit online for all the details.
When Dave Castro announced 18.Zero, all of our reactions were somewhat similar: “Burpees. FANTASTIC.” Plus, the new movement standards make them even more challenging than they already were. But while some of us were busy whining about it, these adaptive athletes were busy absolutely dominating the workout.
This is perhaps one of the best things about CrossFit: everybody is welcome. In a sport that is infinitely scalable, people of all ages and ability levels can find a home.
If you needed any motivation, there you have it. Congrats to these athletes! Way to push through.
Dave Castro: forever keeping us on our toes. While everyone has been anxiously awaiting the start of the CrossFit Open, Castro unsurprisingly had something up his sleeve: something he’s calling 18.Zero, along with two new movement standards. 18.Zero will be an extra workout, but not directly related to the rest of the Open. The workout is a couplet consisting of dumbbell snatches (50 pounds for men, 35 pounds for women) and burpees, completed as 21-15-9, for time. But wait — there’s more.
Previously, with dumbbell snatches, the athlete could switch hands while the DB was overhead, in between two reps. Now, the DB must be below eye level, before they can switch hands.
And there’s one more change: burpees just got a little tougher (as if they weren’t tough already). For starters, you can no longer step back and step up one foot at a time. Both feet must kick back simultaneously, and return forward again simultaneously. Otherwise, it’s considered scale.
In regard to 18.Zero, the athlete is required to put the DB next to them (on their side), and — keeping both feet parallel and in line with it — must jump over it to complete each burpee. Any variations of this will render the burpees scaled!
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
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.
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!”
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.
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.
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.
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
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:
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Picture it. Dave Castro’s Instagram. Yesterday. A generic picture of 50-pound dumbbells. Harmless photo… or is it? The caption set the internet on fire.
And so it begins. Now, CrossFitters of all levels have taken to social media to make their predictions for what the the Open of 2018 has in store for us. Castro is known to “drop hints,” although he also likes to throw us off his scent. Maybe this photo is hinting at an event involving dumbbells. It could also be hinting at 5,000 double-unders for time. The odds are the same.
What do you think his photo means? Is Castro giving us a glimpse into this year’s Open, or simply trying to distract us? Only time will tell…
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.
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.
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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