16.3 Thoughts & Strategy

16.3 brings us yet another curveball for the 2016, a movement we've been anticipating in the Open for several years has finally arrived for the first time - the bar muscle-up!  As with the last two weeks (and for the next three) we'll be running heats of the Open workout during all of our Saturday morning classes.  Please watch the standards video above and read the workout info here before coming in on Saturday to do the WOD - since our Saturdays during the Open are not our usual coached/structured classes, you'll need to know what you're up against (to some degree) before coming in for the self-directed warm-up and heats of the workout. 

Much like 16.1 and 16.2, this workout creates opportunity for success, PRs, and lots of fun with potential "first ever" accomplishments.  As with last week, we'll try to spell out the categories of competitors, and hopefully give you some pointers for how to approach the workout and impress yourself.

For athletes at every level, please be conscious of your grip (just as we mention in class every time a kipping movement comes up in a workout).  Accidentally letting go of the bar is no laughing matter.  First and foremost, hang on to the bar securely (we suggest wrapping your thumb around the bar) and be conscious of whether your hands are slipping off.  If they even might be, take a break, shake it out, and get back up there when you've recovered.

Category 1: Power Snatch 75/55 lbs?! Yeah right. 

This category will likely be comprised of newer athletes, who have not yet had a lot of time to work on power snatches.  If 75/55 lbs is just not going to happen safely, then scale to the 45/35 lbs listed in the scaled version of 16.3, and, if officially entered in the Open, get a set-up for jumping chest-to-bar pull-ups (as well as a coach to show you how to approach the movement without smashing your face into the bar).  If you're not officially entered in the Open then we suggest 5 jumping chin-over-bar pull-ups, which elicit nearly the same metabolic response (read: they will get your heart rate dialed up almost as much) without running the risk of smashing your face into the pull-up bar.  

Category 2: Bar Muscle-up?! Yeah right.

If you're in this category, and are still working on un-assisted chest-to-bar pull-ups and/or dips, you're probably fairly certain that your torso's not going to make its way above the bar no matter what Jedi mind tricks you employ.  If you're in this category, but can power snatch the 75/55 Rx weight then get your official 10-rep Rx score, and immediately thereafter continue the workout by scaling the Bar MUs so you can keep moving for the full 7 minutes - we suggest 3 chest-to-bar pull-ups OR 5 chin-over bar pull-ups as your Bar MU scaling, and prefer it to the 5 jumping chest-to-bar pull-up standard (that's a great way to increase your chances of breaking your teeth, and since you've already banked an Rx score and won't be submitting a scaled score, we think it more productive to work your pull-ups in whatever version you're able to sustain at this point in your CrossFit career).    

Category 3: Power snatch? No problem. C2B and dips? No problem. Bar MU? Houston, we have a problem!

If you were at the gym on Thursday night for the initial Open heats you may have witnessed the multiple first-ever bar MUs that occurred (congrats, Lisa G and Sparkle!).  You may be next!  If you have the pre-requisite strength and shoulder mobility, then it's just a matter of learning the technical pieces involved in putting your body in the correct positions (yes, easier said than done... but entirely possible for many of you).  Watch the video we posted in yesterday's blog ("Mastering the Bar Muscle-up"), read the points that I (Rob) posted in the private Arena Ready Facebook group on Friday (under Brianne's thread which lists the 16.3 workout movements), and then come in to the gym early on Saturday so that you can spend some time with a coach and/or experienced athlete in the warm-up area working on nailing that first successful rep.  This is what the Open is all about - clawing your way to those first-ever reps which unlock the door to eventual mastery of the movement. 

Category 4: Power snatch? No problem. Bar MU? No problem. Bring it, 16.3!

If this is you then it's likely that you don't need too much of our help, other than some reminders about pacing and technical considerations for maximizing efficiency.  For the top-level competitors this will be 2 minutes of a brisk, "fast-ish" start pace (not all out, not slow), 3 minutes of maintaining a "race pace" (a steady level of constant movement that rides under the redline), and then 2 final minutes of a suicide pace (go like hell and try to hold on for dear life).  Competitors who are proficient with the movements in this workout, but are not necessarily Regional hopefuls, should breakdown a reasonable goal and map-out the pace required to get there (e.g. 6 rounds = 78 reps, roughly one round every 1:11 - 1:12 including transitions).  From there one can build-in slightly faster rounds in the first 2 minutes, moving to slightly slower rounds in the middle 3 minutes, and then plan to fight like a dog for negative splits in the last 2 minutes.  Write it down, put some thought into it & be realistic, and then sell-out to stick to it.  Keep your rest strict and on the clock, not by feel - doing the latter will have you resting more than you need since your mind tells you lies when things get hard.  Lastly, remember a few things:

1) Hook grip the snatches from the start - this is a grip-tastic workout for competitors doing 5/6/7+ rounds.  Tape your thumbs and the middle & top sections of your pinkies (trust me on that one).  Open your hands for a split second at the top of each snatch rep to relax your grip a bit and take a breath (re-hook on the way back down).  Let the barbell come straight down as close as possible to your chest when going touch-and-go, since even a minor swing away from your body taxes your grip with every rep.  Internal rotation mobility (with a LAX ball or KB) during the warm-up can help with this.  Don't rush the snatches - smooth and steady is key, and for most of you a baby power snatch is the way to go (versus a muscle snatch).

2) Tape your hands or use grips for the bar MUs.  If you rip then it's game over, both for continuing the workout with any decent pace or for trying it again.  Don't be a dummy or a hero - we provide tape for free for goodness sake, so use it.  Don't know how to tape your hands?  Oh boy.  Go to Arena Ready Archives and search "hand care" for the blog posts that cover it - or if you're lazy just watch this video.    

3) Know thyself on the bar MUs.  Are you a ninja?  Well then 3 unbroken is the way to go.  If, instead, you know that 2-1 or three singles will be what you need to do then stick to it, and keep your rest strict (remember, on the clock or count it out).  Whatever you do, DON'T MISS.  Or at the very least minimize misses.  This may mean that you have to leave one or two in the bank on a few sets, but doing so saves you time in the end, since missing reps wastes more time and energy than a successful broken set does... no matter which way you slice it.      

4) Don't fall off the pull-up bar.  Maybe this should be number 1.  Seriously.  If you're swinging into another rep and thinking to yourself "I think my grip is going a little" then come down to shake it out for a bit and rest - it's not worth it.  We've seen everything from people flinging off the bar and slamming on their back, to people landing on their head, to someone actually breaking their back (none of which happened at AR thankfully, but still those things all happened).  You know what it feels like "when it's not quite right" going into a rep, so don't ignore that signal - it will eliminate some missed reps, will leave some successful reps in the bank, and will keep you right-side up.   

WOD for 03-12-16:

"Open 16.3"

AMRAP 7 Minutes:

10 Power Snatches @ 75/55 lbs

3 Bar Muscle-ups

Brian Documents 16.2 & 16.3 Is Upon Us

Brian C worked his magic once again and documented 16.2 at Arena Ready this past Saturday.  Check out the awesome video below which captures some of the great moments by our athletes.  Thank you so much, Brian!

16.3 is officially upon us, so if you are gong to be completing the workout this Saturday at Arena Ready please start by reviewing the workout details here and watching the standards video below - thanks!

For those who are still working on mastering the bar muscle-up here's a good video covering some of the key points when learning the movement:

WOD for 03-11-16:

With a Partner For Time*:

5000m Row. Switch every 250m, exactly.

*For every meter over 250 when the counter stops, there is a 2-rep Wall Ball penalty (e.g. if the counter stops at 256m the team owes 12 Wall Balls). 

*For every meter short of 250 the team owes the difference plus 5 AbMat Sit-ups (e.g. if the counter stops at 247m the team owes 8 AbMat Sit-ups). 

The penalties accumulate and must be performed at the end of the 5000m row.  The team's time includes the time required to complete the penalty reps, which can be divided/shared in any fashion.   

The Dumbbell Snatch

Check out this helpful video from the folks at Barbell Shrugged covering the dumbbell snatch (the good stuff starts at around 1:00 in, so I've taken the liberty to start it as such below) - and then come on in to the gym to put that technique to use!

After Wednesday's strength day you knew some conditioning was coming your way...

WOD for 03-10-16:

Alternating EMOM for 5 Rounds (20 Minutes):

MIN 1: 15/12 Calorie Row

MIN 2: 10 Alternating 1-Arm Dumbbell Snatches @ 55/45 lbs

MIN 3: 12 Burpees

MIN 4: 10 Unbroken Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

Western Wednesday = Squats

Do you even legs, Bro?

You can thank Natalie C for the Western (AKA "Country") Wednesday playlist that the coaches may or may not play while you get your leg pump on...

Lisa G is already thanking Natalie for the country music that keeps her heart rate down and her squat numbers up.

WOD for 03-09-16:

Back Squat:

1-3-1-5-1-3-1

Goal is to increase the load with each of the four singles, ending on the heaviest single (NOT a 1RM).  An example of approximate percentages for this rep scheme could be (this will vary by athlete):
1x80% - 3x75% - 1x85% - 5x70% - 1x90% - 3x75% - 1x95% 

(Compare to 09-18-15)

-then-

Weighted Plank Hold:

3x1:00

Rest 1:30 Between Sets

Jenny Takes Great Pictures of Cleans, Toes to Bar, and Double Unders

The amazingly talented Jenny has done it again by capturing so many of the incredible moments of Open 16.2 at Arena Ready (a full gallery can be found here).  Thank you so much for all you do, Jenny!

WOD for 03-08-16:

Power Snatch + Hang Squat Snatch:

3-2-1-1-1

-then-

AMRAP 15 Minutes, With a Partner:

PARTNER A

400m Run

while

PARTNER B

10 Power Snatches @ 135/95 lbs

30 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft

Partner A runs 400m while Partner B completes AMRAP of the power snatch/wall ball couplet, then partners switch.  Score this continuously, with one partner picking up exactly where the other left off (i.e. scored by the team's total rounds + reps completed of the couplet).   

16.2: Monday Reminders

Another BIG thank you to Coaches Liz, Hillary, and Alyssa, and to "Head Judge" Chad for helping run the show on on 16.2 Saturday!  Thanks also to Coach Esterina for judging so many heats, and to all the other athletes and coaches who stayed to cheer on friends and watch some fantastic performances!  

A few reminders:

1) Your 16.2 score is due by 5pm (Pacific Time) on Monday.  You must submit your score on the CrossFit Games website, as we cannot enter it for you (we can only validate it once it's been entered).  DO IT NOW!

2) If you were not able to complete 16.2 during any of the Thursday through Sunday times (and you are officially entered in the Open) your last chance is on Monday during the added 1:00pm OR 2:30pm time slots (please sign-up for "The OPEN" classes on the schedule as you would for any other class, and expect to do the workout and also judge another athlete).  Doing 16.2 during Monday's morning (6am, 7am), noon, or 4pm classes is not permitted.  Thank you for your attention!

WOD for 03-07-16:

1 Power Clean + 2 Push Presses + 1 Push Jerk:

5 Sets of (1+2+1)

-then-

For Time:

21-15-9

Push Presses @ 115/75 lbs (no rack)

Kettlebell Swings @ 53/35 lbs

Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

16.2 Thoughts and Strategy

This is another awesome workout - please watch the standards video above and read the workout info here before coming in on Saturday to do the WOD during our Open Saturday Heats.  Much like 16.1, it creates a wide variety of opportunities for success, PRs, and fun.  As with last week, we'll try to spell out the categories of competitors, and hopefully give you some pointers for how to approach the workout and impress yourself.

For athletes at every level, be conscious of your grip - as we mention in class every time this movement (toes-to-bar) comes up.  Accidentally letting go of the bar is no laughing matter.  First and foremost, hang on to the bar and be conscious of whether your hands are slipping off.  If they even might be, take a break, shake it out, and get back up there when you've recovered.

Category 1: Toes go Where?!?
If you're in this category, you're certain that your toes are not going to make their way to the bar no matter what you do to coerce them.  If you're in this category, get yourself a scaled setup, and go for it! Find yourself in the categories below as your abilities relate on the scaled level, and strategize accordingly.

Category 2: Ok, I have t2b but 25 in four minutes?!?
If you're in this category, you're anticipating getting something less than 25 toes to bar in this workout, including perhaps getting your first ever (shout out to Amy D. for this awesome feat on Thursday night!).  For this group, get a trusted coach or experienced athlete to hang out with you and offer useful tips for this four minute toes-to-bar AMRAP... and get those toes to touch the bar!

Category 3: Whoa, 50 Double Unders?
If you're in this group, be conscious of your pace on the toes-to-bar to ensure that you don't go out so hot that you're unnecessarily taxed for the double unders.  Leave yourself as much time to get as many as you can, but within reason to keep your breathing relaxed.  Once you get there, stay calm and relaxed, and plan to break the double unders up into manageable sets.  If you can consistently do five or ten without missing, that's your number.  If you can only do them alternating with singles, that's ok for today.  Try not to focus on the accumulated number, or how far you have to go, just get your number, shake it out, and get it again.

Category 4: I made it to the cleans!  But crap, they're so heavy!
If you're in this group, welcome to the meat of this workout.  The cleans will feel heavy when you get there, so warm up to the bar you expect to hit in the workout, and possibly to the one after.  If this is at or around your 1RM, you may need to take a quick break before you pick up the bar to make sure you can hold strong positions and make each attempt count.  Pretty much everyone should do singles, unless the weight is light for you and you get to the bar with not enough time to spare.  In that case, sprint, do touch-and-go reps if possible, and have faith that if you finish the cleans the toes to bar will feel better than you expect when you get back to them.

Category 5: How many rounds will I get?
In this category - think through the accumulated toes-to-bar reps associated with the round you intend to complete, and break the sets up as though you were doing that total number of reps for time to stave off failure.  Heart rate management will become increasingly important as the reps and rounds increase, and strategizing will be necessary to maintain stamina for the toes-to-bar.  The cleans will feel heavy, and will spike your heart rate, so singles will likely be a good call unless you're sprinting against the clock to finish the round.

If you're in categories 2-4, you may find yourself wishing for more of a "workout" when your four minutes are up.  We want you to get a good workout too, but are conscious of everyone wanting an opportunity to attempt the 16.2 during a time convenient for them, so we've created the following suggestion.  It may seem confusing, but we assure you, we think it's going to be great.  The cap for all modified workouts will be 12 minutes in total - think of the modification as adding 8 minutes to the first round and proceeding as a normal AMRAP:

Category 2: When the clock hits four minutes, bank your score, and move on to double unders and proceed through the workout as Rx'ed - make it as far as you can within the next four minutes, and if you complete the cleans, scale the t2b when you get back to the bar, and also follow the scaling instructions for Categories 3 or 4 if needed.

Category 3: When the clock hits four minutes, bank your score, move on to cleans and proceed through the workout as Rx'ed. When you complete the cleans go back through the toes to bar, and if/when you complete the second round of t2b choose between 25 attempts or 50 singles with the jumprope.  Go to the next bar weight if you can, otherwise, follow instructions for Category 4.

Category 4: In this category, if you're making progress on the cleans, once the clock hits 4 minutes, bank your score, and continue as a normal AMRAP through 12 minutes.  You can keep working on the cleans, and then make your way back to the toes-to-bar and double unders.  If you aren't making progress on the cleans, or if you feel they're too heavy to repeat for a second round, drop the weight and continue through the workout.

As with all of our Open Saturdays, please make sure to sign-up for class as you normally would, and then see a coach when you arrive at the gym to get yourself a heat time.  The self-guided warm-up will be written on the board in AR North, and that entire side of the gym will be open for warm-up activities and stashing your stuff.  Have fun and we'll see you for 16.2!

WOD for 03-05-16:

"Open 16.2"

Beginning on a 4-minute clock, complete as many reps as possible of:
  25 Toes-to-Bars
  50 Double Unders
  15 Squat Cleans @ 135/85 lbs

If completed before 4 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
  25 Toes-to-Bars
  50 Double Unders
  13 Squat Cleans @ 185/115 lbs

If completed before 8 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
  25 Toes-to-Bars
  50 Double Unders
  11 Squat Cleans @ 225/145 lbs

If completed before 12 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
  25 Toes-to-Bars
  50 Double Unders
  9 Squat Cleans @ 275/175 lbs

If completed before 16 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
  25 Toes-to-Bars
  50 Double Unders
  7 Squat Cleans @ 315/205 lbs

Stop at 20 minutes.

Brian Documents 16.1 & 16.2 Is Upon Us

Congrats to Laura K. on her first ever ring muscle-up on Thursday!  She did 4 total, and the gym erupted in cheers each time.  This feat was six years in the making, so Laura is a great example of an athlete continuing to consistently do the work, putting the time in on the little details that eventually add up to hitting those big goals - GREAT WORK, Laura! 

Brian C. once again captured the Open at Arena Ready by documenting 16.1 from last Saturday.  Check out his amazing video below - thanks so much for your hard work and creativity, Brian!

Lastly, 16.2 is officially upon us, so if you're going to be completing the workout this weekend at Arena Ready (either during our Open Heats during all Saturday classes, or during Sunday Open Gym) then please start by reviewing the workout details here and watching the standards video below - thanks!

WOD for 03-04-16:

Turkish Get-up (Alternating):

1-1-1

(Compare to 12-04-15, 05-08-15, 09-12-14, and 04-28-14)

-then-

For Time:

200m Run

25 Shoulder-to-Overhead @ 95/65 lbs

400m Run

25 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls @ 96/65 lbs

600m Run

25 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft

400m Run

25 Lateral Bar Burpees

200m Run

Got Numbness?

Several of us, myself included on my second attempt, reported numb arms/hands/fingers/thumbs during and after 16.1.  As a I was quite frustrated by this during the workout, and especially when it came back during my workout the next day, I asked my smart friend, Zach Greenwald of Strength Ratio, if there was anything I could do to make it go away faster.

Thankfully, he shared some advice in the video above, which he kindly said I could share with Arena Ready.  I did the things he suggested, directed at reducing tingling in the thumb side of my hand and much of my left arm, and it seemed to be very effective as I felt no tingling or numbness during the workout tonight.  I wanted to pass it on in case any of you are also feeling this residual effect of 16.1.  He also shared the below video which could be helpful in reducing tingling on the pinky side of your hand.

To be clear, these videos are intended to be quick, easy fixes to a minor, easily resolved problem.  As always, if you have a more serious problem, and/or these quick fixes don't work, we highly recommend you seek professional advice, and make sure you mention it to your Coach before class.

WOD for 03-03-16:

Skill Focus:

Kipping Muscle-up

-then-

"The Bonus Baseline"

For Time:

50 Calorie Row

40 AbMat Sit-ups

30 Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs

20 Kettlebell Goblet Squats @ 70/53 lbs

10 Muscle-ups

Jenny Captures 16.1 at Arena Ready

The amazingly talented Jenny has done it again by capturing so many of the incredible moments of Open 16.1 at Arena Ready (a full gallery can be found here).  Thank you so much for all you do, Jenny!

WOD for 03-02-16:

Power Snatch:

3-3-3-3-3

Climbing

-then-

AMPAP (As Many POUNDS As Possible) 10 Minutes, With a Partner:

60 Calorie Row

60 Burpees Over The Rower

then in the remaining time...

Power Snatches for Max Total Poundage, pick load

Partners must share the same barbell and choose their loading for the workout (the loading cannot be changed once the workout starts). Partners may share the reps in whatever fashion they like, and reps do not have to be evenly split.  Score is total poundage lifted by the team - e.g. if a team uses 95 lbs and completes 71 power snatch reps, their score would be 6,745 lbs (95 x 71 = 6,745). 

Got Lunge Legs? Squat.

No, really.  

You know, assuming you came in on Monday for the WOD, or at least tried to move around a little in the last couple of days.  If you did neither then Sigfried and Roy (Angela's new kittens) have no sympathy for you, because every day is leg day when you're running from your feels.     

WOD for 03-01-16:

Back Squat:

15 Minutes to Establish a Moderately Heavy Set of 5

-then-

5 Rounds, Start Every Four Minutes:

400m Run

5 Back Squats @ 85% of Top Set From Above

12 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

Focus on being explosive on the box jumps immediately after the back squats, rather than cycling the box jump reps as fast as possible. Want to add intensity? Run faster. 

(Compare to 12-07-15 and 05-06-15)

16.1: Thank You & Reminders

Wow, what a weekend of 16.1 awesomeness!  We'll share some thoughts and highlights in the next couple of days, once all final heats have been completed, you all enter your scores (see reminders below), and we've had a moment to digest it all.

A HUGE thank you to Coaches Liz, Hillary, and Alyssa for running most of the show along with "Head Judge" Chad on Saturday!  What could have potentially been a nightmare of logistics and chronically late-running heats ended up being a well-oiled machine, with most of our heats actually starting a bit ahead of schedule.  It was amazing to watch such gutsy performances by our athletes without having to worry about the schedule/timeline of the competition day turning into a hot mess.  Big thanks as well to the Friday night set-up/logistics crew including Coppertop, Flying Squirrel, Coach Cody, Coach Lindsay, and Coach Jon - they provided a ton of help in mapping things out, and deciding how the flow of events should occur.  Without you folks we couldn't have run such a smooth weekend of heats of what could possibly be the most logistically demanding Open WOD in history (knock on wood). 

A few reminders:

1) Your 16.1 score is due by 5pm (Pacific Time) on Monday.  You must submit your score on the CrossFit Games website, as we cannot enter it for you (we can only validate it once it's been entered).  DO IT NOW!

2) If you were not able to complete 16.1 during any of the Thursday through Sunday times (and you are officially entered in the Open) your last chance is on Monday during the added 1pm time slot.  Doing 16.1 during Monday's morning (6am, 7am), noon, or 4pm classes is not permitted.

WOD for 02-29-16:

Hang Power Clean:

3-3-3-3-3

Climbing

-then-

4 Rounds for Time:

21 Air Squats

15 Handstand Push-ups

9 Hang Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs