Here is week two of the 14 tips to get your best score in the open. Hopefully you have been thinking about the first 5 and trying to incorporate them into your workouts.
Remember The 40% Rule
I think I first heard about this from an article about Rich Froning. Apply it to gymnastics – especially Toes-to-Bar. If your max consecutive TTB is 20, then you really should not be attempting more than 40% of this number, or 8 in this example, at a time. This works very well, in my experience with many, many Open workouts. I err to smaller sets as opposed to larger ones, especially at the beginning of an Open workout, for optimum results.
Warm-ups Really Matter
Get that heart rate up to where it will likely be in the workout. No need to go crazy with this – just do something (I prefer the Assault Bike for a few 20 second sprints), then rest 5 minutes or so before starting the workout. Remember Open workout 17.5? Ten rounds of 9 thrusters and 30 double-unders. If you didn’t warm up properly then this workout got real ugly in a hurry. Watch experienced rowers before they tackle a 2K test – they are deliberate, spending some time at their desired 2K pace in warmups well before the test begins.
Speaking of the rower, use sprint starts when appropriate on the rower – those of you who are familiar with this know the benefit. If you want to learn more, talk to one of the OPCF coaches, otherwise we’ll explore this in more detail, along with some other rowing tips, in a future article.
Run Through the Finish Line, Instead of To It.
One of my personal weaknesses. Don’t slow down in the last 10 seconds, or stop with 3 seconds to go even at the end of a long workout. Sprint through the line and get that last rep.
Expect and Accept No-Reps
I just accept that my these will happen at some point despite my best efforts, like a missed free throw in basketball. No need to get angry with my judge, it’s my fault for losing focus. It’s part of the game, so just let them roll off your back and move on.
Never, Ever Fail a Muscle Up (or Handstand Pushup)
Those of you that have ring or bar muscle ups know that the energy expended on a miss is huge, and will likely impact other elements in a WOD. It is much more efficient to be conservative with these, so break them down to smaller sets, and move on.
Use Chalk Wisely, or Not at All
This one comes from CrossFit Invictus. If you must use chalk, keep it at an easy to reach location, like a J-hook, top of a box, or in your pocket. Not on the floor or in a bucket which just wastes time and energy.
Use Those Green 10# Plates
The 2 green 10-pounders don’t bounce off the floor at a crazy angle. Super important when you have a lot of barbell reps with 65 or 75 pounds.
Have a Spare Rope Ready for Double-Under Workouts
For competitive workouts, just have a spare nearby in case your rope breaks mid-workout. At the CrossFit Games they actually provided a spare on the ground next to every competitor station.
Triple-Tie Your Shoes
I still do this before every workout, every time. The one time I forget this will most certainly result in a double-under disaster.
Hopefully these tips help you prepare for the fun Open season that is upon us. Good luck and enjoy!