Open 17.4 is Upon Us!

Open 17.4 was announced on Thursday evening, and surprise... it's a repeat of Open 16.4!!!  If you're going to be completing the workout this weekend at Arena Ready (either during the fun craziness of 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!

More info on 17.4 Open Saturday at Arena Ready, including logistics and basic strategy tips, in tomorrow's (Friday evening's) post.  

WOD for 03-17-17:

Agility Ladder:

Skills & Drills

-then-

Weighted Strict Pull-up:

3-2-1-1-1

(Compre to 03-25-16, 10-22-15, 03-27-15, and 11-14-14)

-then-

For Time:

600m Run

21 Toes-to-Bar

400m Run

15 Toes-to-Bar

200m Run

9 Toes-to-Bar

Open 17.4 Announcement on Thursday at 5pm

Reminder that we'll be viewing the announcement of Workout 17.4 at Arena Ready on Thursday at 5pm, just as we have in previous weeks of the Open.  Come on by the gym and check it out with us, and then watch Brooke Wells (The 6th Fittest Woman at the 2016 CrossFit Games) do battle against Brenda Castro (The Fittest Woman in Mexico during the 2016 Season) live from Mexico City, as they tackle 17.4 immediately following the announcement.

AR members who may be traveling this weekend and cannot complete the workout on Saturday or Sunday should also sign-up for Thursday's 7pm "The OPEN" session and do 17.4 before you leave town for that business trip or mini-vacation... get it in, Open Athletes!

What could they possibly throw at us next?!  

WOD for 03-16-17:

Power Clean:

3-3-3-3-3

Climbing

-then-

THREE 3-Minute Cycles (3 minutes of work / 3 minutes of rest) of:

15/12 Calorie Row

... then, in the remaining time AMRAP of...

10 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

5 Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs

This is three minutes of work and three minutes of rest, repeated for three cycles.  Each cycle starts with a "buy-in" of 15 calories on the rower, then proceeds as an AMRAP couplet.  Re-start each cycle on the row, and score each AMRAP individually.  Step-ups are allowed if desired and not considered scaling today.

Lisa: 3 Things I Wish I Knew After Starting CrossFit

Lisa's blog Stilettos to Snatches had a great post last week discussing things she wish she knew after she first started CrossFit.  Here is the article in its entirety (thanks as always for sharing your perspective, Lisa):   

3 THINGS I WISH I KNEW AFTER STARTING CROSSFIT

I’m very much a person who believes that I am where I am because of my past decisions. Because of that, I tend to have few regrets on how things evolved to today. That being said, there are always a few things I wish I had known earlier based on how things panned out. Especially when it comes to CrossFit.

As I watch my friends overcome obstacles and find success throughout the Open, I’m reminded of a few things I wish I had known earlier. They aren’t necessarily regrets, but more little pearls of wisdom I thought I’d share. CrossFit has absolutely made a huge impact on my life. It’s taught me so many life lessons and it has brought on lifetime friendships.

LESSON #1: FORM OVER EVERYTHING

This one really goes without saying, but form is everything. When I started CrossFit, you wanted to finish the fastest. The phrase “Do whatever it takes” meant breaking form to eek out a few seconds in front of the next person. On strength sessions, going up in weight was what you did, irrespective of it was with good technique or not. Ultimately, this led to my major injury. Is it worth dialing things back to make sure you’re doing it right? YES YES and YES. Should you scale down the weight if it doesn’t look good? Obviously. If you want to be able to do this later in life, starting off with good form is the best way to ensure that happens.

LESSON #2: SAY “NO” MORE

When I started working in the professional world, I said yes to everything. Part of it was that I wanted to get ahead of my peers, part of it was also that I wanted prove that I was a hard worker. I worked late nights, weekends, and holidays. I worked on red eye flights and brought my computer with me on vacations. While I did well at work, my physical self suffered. I ate a ton of crap because I was working late nights, and I functioned on about 5 to 6 hours of sleep. I was always a morning workout person, but I’d chase my morning workout with a not-so-healthy breakfast sandwich at my desk. Part of what I wish I could do was have better balance in my life.

I also needed to learn how to say no more at the gym. One thing I recall doing (to this day, my current coaches cringe at this whole event) was a 24 hour workout event. Every hour you did one of the CrossFit “girls” workout. It started at around 7pm and ended the next day at 7am. Somewhere around 3am, I mentally quit and decided that this wasn’t going to end well. I was better off getting a real night’s sleep where it didn’t involve doing 150 wall balls at 5am.

LESSON #3: THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING TO WORK ON

Ah yes, this one is always good.  Once I get into something, I love trying to perfect it. It’s a characteristic of mine that’s gotten me where I am but also in trouble too.  There was a brief period of time where I thought I had CrossFit pretty much figured out.  At least I thought I did. I knew how to clean and snatch, and I knew how to do chest to bar pull-ups.  My techniques weren’t perfect, but I thought I was killing it. And then CrossFit came up with the CrossFit Open in 2011. Each workout was eating a slice of humble pie. I had a long ways to go and had a lot to work on.

One thing that keeps me inspired to keep showing up to the gym is that there’s always something to work on. Once I have one thing figured out, it exposes a weakness in another area. The need to keep learning and keep evolving is one that is always in sports, but especially in a technical sport.  Getting stronger, developing a better nutrition profile, and working on the small stuff is what keeps me motivated.

In all of this, I hope that some of these things resonate with you on your exercise journey. I probably have a few more to add to this list, so if you have any to share, please let me know too. I love hearing all of your comments and thoughts on my musings!

-Lisa G

WOD for 03-15-17:

Barbell Step-Back (Reverse) Lunge:

8-8-8-8 (alternating)

Climbing

-then-

4 Rounds, Start Every 4 Minutes:

400m Run

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

Record your time for every round, and score the workout by your slowest of the four rounds.

(Compare to 08-15-16)

Jenny Captures Open 17.3 at Arena Ready

Our own Jenny Morgan, photographer extraordinaire who CAN NOW SNATCH TRIPLE DIGITS (congrats, Jenny!), was on-site this past Saturday capturing all of the action during "Open 17.3" at Arena Ready.  You can view her pictures of 17.3 by clicking on the gallery link here - below are just a handful of some of the awesome images from what was the most energetic weekend of the 2017 Open at Arena Ready thus far!

WOD for 03-14-17:

AMRAP 20 Minutes:

20 Calorie Row

40 AbMat Sit-ups

80 Double Unders

3 Rounds of "Nate"

1 Round of "Nate" is...

2 Muscle-ups

4 Handstand Push-ups

8 Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs

Open 17.3 Score Submissions Due By Monday at 5pm!

After last week's incredible Open 17.2 at Arena Ready I thought to myself "that's probably as energetic as it can possibly get this year in the Open, it'll be tough to beat that amazing vibe in the final three weeks."  Well, Open 17.3 on Saturday (and Sunday for that matter) proved me completely wrong.  The gym was on fire this past weekend with some unbelievable performances, and the corresponding screams and cheers of support from our community watching it all go down.  SO FREAKIN' COOL!

Please REMEMBER TO SUBMIT YOUR 17.3 SCORE to the CrossFit Games website (click here) by the 5pm Monday deadline!  We cannot submit your score for you, so if you're on your phone or computer reading this do it now before you forget!  

Three down, and two weeks to go...

WOD for 03-13-17:

Back Squat:

Six work sets of six reps, as follows:

A) 15 Minutes For...

6-6-6-6 Climbing to a Top Set*

*Add to your top set of EIGHT from 03-07-17

B) 7 Minutes For...

Two "drop" sets:

1x6 @ 85% of your top set

1x6 @ 80% of your top set

-then-

For Time:

50 Thrusters @ 115/75 lbs

*Perform 4 lateral bar burpees at the top of every minute, including the first (at 3-2-1 GO!)

Open 17.3 Thoughts & Strategy

First, logistics...

As we've covered previously in this post here, we'll be running the Open Workout ("17.3") during rolling heats in all of our Saturday morning classes.  If you're officially entered in the Open please sign-up for class in advance and plan on doing the workout and judging another athlete while in the gym (no, you do not have to be a certified judge who has taken the judges course... that is only required if you're judging an aspiring Regionals or Masters Qualifier athlete).  Like last week the warm-up will be self-directed and written on the board in AR North, along with all of the equipment needed to get ready to rock.  Please plan on showing up 10-15 minutes early for class if possible, so that you can sign-up for a heat time when you arrive and get yourself situated for warming-up.  Please note that the number next to your name in the heat list corresponds to the lane number for the workout.     

17.3 is another awesome workout - please watch the standards video above and read the workout standards info here before coming to do the WOD.  Much like 17.2, 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 "every day" competitors, and hopefully give you some pointers for how to approach the workout and impress yourself.

An important note for those of you who are judging - please do NOT underestimate how confused the athlete may be during this workout.  As you can see in the video above, in the workout standards here, and even just by simply reading what the workout is at the bottom of this post, there is A LOT going on in this WOD.  So assume that the athlete does not know precisely where they are at any given point, and be sure to audibly (and clearly) tell them EXACTLY what they need to do next - e.g. what round or rep they are on, how many they need to do, when they are done with the current movement, etc.

For athletes at every level, please remember that "the weights will be here tomorrow - and you only win if you are too."  Another way of saying this is DON'T BE DUMB AND TAKE THE BARBELL FOR A WALK TRYING TO SAVE A SNATCH OR HOLD ON TO A BAD REP THAT IS OUT OF POSITION.  As I stated in yesterday's post, while some of you may be pushing for a new PR we also want you to exercise your intelligent decision-making skills when it comes to attempting weights that approach your limits.  Real lifters know how to miss & bail (and all of you know how to do just that, because I've seen it) and smart lifters know that a miss is a thousand times better than an attempted save gone wrong.  

OK, now some basic strategy thoughts...

Category 1: Chest-to-bar?!?  Yeah right, I'm still working on getting my chin over the bar.
If you're in this category, you're certain that your chest is not going to touch that pull-up bar no matter what you do to coerce it.  Get yourself a scaled setup (make sure to read the workout standards for the jumping pull-up requirements in particular), 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 some C2B pull-ups but 39 total reps in eight minutes?!? I'm not sure I'll even get to ANY squat snatches!
For this group, get a trusted coach or experienced athlete to hang out with you and offer useful tips for this (largely) eight minute chest-to-bar AMRAP.  In particular, if you're actually pretty comfortable with the first squat snatch weight, it may pay off to stick with a game plan of only attempting a C2B every (fill in the blank) seconds - this will limit your fatigue level, keep you at a higher success rate of legitimate C2B reps that actually count (versus misses due mostly to fatigue), and give you something else to focus on other than the nine thousand coaching cues you may have running through your head (you can only focus on one at a time, maybe two tops, people).    

Category 3: I made it to the squat snatches!  But crap, they're heavy!
If you're in this group, welcome to the meat of this workout.  The squat snatches will feel heavy for many when you get there (certainly on the second weight at 135/95 lbs for most), so warm up to the bar you expect to hit in the workout (the process by which you would do this is detailed in the warm-up we wrote on the board in AR North), and possibly to the one after if it's within 5-10% of your current era PR.  If the first or second weight is at or around your 1RM, you may need to take a little break (during the actual workout) before you pick up the bar to make sure you can hold strong positions and make each attempt count.  Most everyone should do singles in this category, and prioritize the best possible technique you can muster - there is no big rush since the weight is at or near your max already.  Each successful rep is a huge accomplishment, so focus and let your body do what it's done before at lighter weights. 

Category 4: I think I can get past the 8-minute cut-off... what should I do to make that happen?
In this category think through the accumulated chest-to-bar reps (39 in the first eight minutes or less), and break the sets up as though you were doing that total number of reps "for time to stave off failure."  For some that means fast, disciplined doubles and singles the entire way (and they'll HAVE to be disciplined in order to have enough time, so no resting between single reps), and for others who are more ninja at C2B pull-ups it may mean triples and doubles, with potentially an unbroken set of 6 to start things off ahead of pace without risking too much in terms of heart rate management.  Controlling your heart rate will become increasingly important as the C2B reps increase, and strategizing will be necessary to maintain an even level of exertion for the squat snatches.  Most should snatch in singles with a controlled drop (and then right back on the bar immediately), unless the weight is light for you (this will apply to some at the first Rx weight, 95/65 lbs) and you anticipate needing to bank some extra time because the third weight (185/135) is actually one that you can safely manage for multiple reps or rounds... in that latter case doubles are useful if you can keep them smooth and resist the temptation to be super explosive (thus skyrocketing your heart rate).  

For most who simply hope to get past the first cut-off (at 8 minutes) and have no real aspiration to snatch the third weight (185/135), the squat snatches will feel "heavier than you'd like" at the second weight (135/95 lbs), and will spike your heart rate a good amount - so singles are a good call there unless you're sprinting against the clock to finish the "final" (6th) round at 135/95... and even then fast singles may be all you can muster.  Just don't waste any snatch reps by getting sloppy and then missing as a result - it costs precious time and energy, but also has a big cost in mental fortitude.  

Thanks to Coaches Liz, Hillary, and Sarah for staying late on Friday night to set-up for what should be a fun Saturday of heats!

We'll see you in the gym for an awesome 17.3!

WOD for 03-11-17:

"Open Workout 17.3"

Prior to 8:00, Complete:

3 Rounds of:

    6 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups (SCALED = Jumping Chin-over-Bar Pull-ups throughout the workout)

    6 Squat Snatches @ 95/65 lbs (SCALED = 45/35 lbs)

Then, 3 Rounds of:

    7 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

    5 Squat Snatches @ 135/95 lbs (SCALED = 75/55 lbs)

*Prior to 12:00, Complete 3 Rounds of:

    8 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

    4 Squat Snatches @ 185/135 lbs (SCALED = 95/65 lbs)

*Prior to 16:00, Complete 3 Rounds of:

    9 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

    3 Squat Snatches @ 225/155 lbs (SCALED = 115/75 lbs)

*Prior to 20:00, Complete 3 Rounds of:

    10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

    2 Squat Snatches @ 245/175 lbs (SCALED = 135/95 lbs)

Prior to 24:00, Complete 3 Rounds of:

    11 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

    1 Squat Snatches @ 265/185 lbs (SCALED = 155/105 lbs)

*If all reps are completed, time cap extends by 4 minutes.

Open 17.3 is Upon Us

While coaching Thursday's 6am class I thought to myself "Man, these peeps look great snatching!"  Whether it was 20 pounds on the bar or 220, just about every level of experience looked technically sound and crisp on the barbell.  We'd talked a bit about thinking that snatches and chest-to-bar pull-ups (and I also threw double unders out there) were possibly coming up in 17.3 - and, as it turns out, we were pretty close with our guesses.  So it was no surprise that we tried to build-in some C2B work earlier in the week, and then a snatch technique session on Thursday.  What Sarah and I (and all of our coaches at Arena Ready) hope is that athletes completing Open 17.3 this coming weekend do so with the same solid technique we saw on Thursday - and while some of you may be pushing for a new PR we also want you to exercise your intelligent decision-making skills when it comes to attempting weights that approach your limits (e.g. missing/dropping correctly when and if needed).  

OK, that said - here we go!  If you're going to be completing the workout this weekend at Arena Ready (either during the fun craziness of 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 above - thanks!

More info on 17.3 Open Saturday at Arena Ready, including logistics and basic strategy tips, in tomorrow's (Friday evening's) post.  

WOD for 03-10-17:

Turkish Get-up (Alternating):

1-1-1-1-1 (per side)

For Quality

-then-

"The Friday Burden"

AMRAP 12 Minutes:

200m Run w/Medicine Ball @ 20/14 lbs

30 Medicine Ball Sit-ups

20 Calorie Row

30 Medicine Ball Walking Lunges

March Yoga at Arena Ready

Open 17.3 Announcement

Don't forget that we'll be viewing the live announcement of Open 17.3 at Arena Ready on Thursday at 5pm - so come on by and watch with us if you're up for it!

Any guesses what the workout might be?

 

March Yoga

Dani will be leading Yoga classes on a bit of an adjusted schedule this month - she'll be incorporating two Sunday morning classes intermixed with Monday evening classes in an effort to give folks more of an opportunity to attend.  Here is the schedule for Yoga for the remainder of the month:

Sunday, March 12th at 9:00am

Monday, March 20th at 7:00pm

Sunday, March 26th at 9:00am

Remember that Yoga is available to all Arena Ready members as a part of your membership (there is no charge to attend!) - we simply ask that you sign-up for class in advance so that Dani knows how many to expect, and bring your own mat if you have one (we have a few to borrow if you don't).  All levels of experience are welcome!   

WOD for 03-09-17:

Hang Power Snatch + Hang Squat Snatch + Overhead Squat:

 5 Sets of (1+1+1)

Climbing as technique allows

-then-

3 Rounds For Time:

48 Air Squats

12 Ring Dips

12 Hang Power Snatches @ 95/65 lbs

Open 17.2 Shout-Outs

Open 17.2 at Arena Ready is in the books and scores have been submitted and validated.  It was an awesome workout at the gym, and Sarah and I were gushing about how well everyone did and how our people worked together to run Open Saturday smoothly and without a hitch.  This was not an easy workout logistically, so we are thankful to all of you who were there on Saturday for making things fun and supportive - our athletes' desire to be gracious and considerate of everyone else's heat times, workout stations/equipment, and friends & families (who were present to cheer on their loved ones) was very much on display.  Trust me when I say your awesomeness did not go unnoticed - so THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Thanks also to our awesome coaches, many of whom were also competing on Saturday as well - Coaches Hillary, Liz, Alyssa, Laura, Walker, Georgi, Lavinia, Jon, Lindsay, and Cody were all on hand to cheer, judge, keep folks safe, talk strategy, and scream with elation when someone got their first toes-to-bar, bar muscle-up, or weighted lunge at an Rx weight.  Thank you team!

Speaking of firsts - a HUGE CONGRATS to all the athletes celebrating some breakthroughs on those aforementioned movements... whether it was a first ever, first in a workout, first in the current era, or first in the Open, your hard work and determination paid off and we're excited for you all.  Big ups to Justin, Johnatan U., Brianne, Amy C., Amy D., Peter D., Umair, James M, James O., Randy (I see you, fam), Laika, Jeannie, Katy M, Catherine, Kathy, Mayra, Amy T., Nicole, Cara, Kathryn A., Michelle, Ed, Darrell, Lindsey B., Dani and anyone else who I may have forgotten (there was a lot of a commotion and so much going on, you'll have to forgive me...plus many of you made a possible "first" look so easy it very likely fooled me).   

Thank you to everyone who judged, and especially those who stayed and judged multiple heats.  A special thanks to Jess for judging in just about every heat the entire day, and to Squirrel for judging a big portion of the day and also for bringing in some delicious baked goods for everyone to enjoy.

WOD for 03-08-17:

5 Rounds For Total Time:

400m Run

9 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls @ 115/80 lbs

12 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

1 Minute Rest

Your time includes the four total minutes of forced rest (you are required to time your own rest periods)..

Jenny Captures Open 17.2 at Arena Ready

Our own Jenny Morgan, photographer extraordinaire, was on-site this past Saturday capturing all of the action during "Open 17.2" at Arena Ready.  You can view her awesome shots of 17.2 (including some of the best expressions and workout faces we've seen in a LONG time) by clicking on the gallery link here - below are just a handful of images from this incredible weekend of Open energy!

Some congratulatory shout-outs and thank you's for 17.2 coming in tomorrow's post.

WOD for 03-07-17:

Back Squat:

15 Minutes To Establish a Heavy Set of Eight*

then...

7 Minutes For Two Drop Sets:

1x8 @ 85% of your top set

1x8 @ 80% of your top set

*If possible, add 5-10 lbs to your top set from 02-27-17.

-then-

AMRAP 10 Minutes:

10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

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

40 Double Unders

Open 17.2: Score Submissions Due By 5pm!

Wow, Open 17.2 was an exciting one at Arena Ready!  The gym was full of screams and applause during many moments of athlete firsts - first ever bar muscle-ups, first ever toes-to-bar, first ever DB walking lunges at 50/35 lbs.  It was a blast watching our people go crazy for their buddies, taking in all the energy that the Open is known for producing - great work, all.

Please REMEMBER TO SUBMIT YOUR 17.2 SCORE to the CrossFit Games website (click here) by the 5pm Monday deadline!  We cannot submit your score for you, so if you're on your phone or computer reading this do it now before you forget!  

WOD for 03-06-17:

With a Partner For Time:

60 Calorie Row

60 Deadlifts @ 155/105 lbs

50 Calorie Row

50 Hang Power Cleans @ 155/105 lbs

40 Calorie Row

40 Front Squats @ 155/105 lbs

30 Calorie Row

30 Push Jerks @ 155/105 lbs

20 Calorie Row

20 Clusters (AKA "Squat Clean Thrusters") @ 155/105 lbs

Only one athlete working at a time. Reps may be partitioned in any fashion and do NOT have to be split evenly. Partners must tag each other in/out for every transition.

Open 17.2 Thoughts & Strategy

I got a fever.  And the only prescription is MORE DUMBBELLS.

First, logistics...

As we've covered previously in this post here, we'll be running the Open Workout ("17.2") during rolling heats in all of our Saturday morning classes.  If you're officially entered in the Open please sign-up for class in advance and plan on doing the workout and judging another athlete while in the gym (no, you do not have to be a certified judge who has taken the judges course... that is only required if you're judging an aspiring Regionals or Masters Qualifier athlete).  Like last week the warm-up will be self-directed and written on the board in AR North, along with all of the equipment needed to get ready to rock.  Please plan on showing up 10-15 minutes early for class if possible, so that you can sign-up for a heat time when you arrive and get yourself situated for warming-up.  Please note that the number next to your name in the heat list corresponds to the lane number for the workout.     

17.2 brings us a movement many of you are very familiar with - the walking lunge.  In the Open we'll be doing them with dumbbells in the front rack position, and the manner with which you rack the dumbbells will be a key component of each athlete's strategy, as detailed later in this post.

 

Now, some strategy thoughts...

There are a number of categories to consider:

1. "I can't safely attempt even 5 feet of walking lunges as prescribed." This group should confirm with a coach that you really can't/shouldn't make an attempt, just in case you have too little faith in yourself, and once/if confirmed you'll set up the scaled version of the workout.  Otherwise, you're probably in group 2.

2. "DB walking lunges are nearly impossible at 50/35 lbs, but I think I can manage 5 feet AKA 2 lunges."  This would equate to a score of 1 rep, and would rank higher than all scaled efforts on the scoreboard.  If you can manage 5 feet safely, do the workout as prescribed ("Rx").  If you can get 25 feet done safely (even if you have to break it up) do 25 feet, and so on.  Then you face toes-to-bar (T2B), and may find yourself in category 3 or 4.  Work as hard as you safely can, getting as far along in the Rx workout as possible, and if you hit a bottleneck where you're just not able to continue on reasonably (or safely) then finish the remainder of the 12 minutes using a scaled option from that point forward (you'll still have your Rx score up until the point you switched over).

3. "I can do the lunges just fine, but I'm still working on getting my toes-to-bar." If you're in this group, you'll either have a ton of time and a lot of Arena Ready people cheering for you to get your first ever T2B, or you may attempt T2B for a good while and then decide (after waving the white flag) that switching over to a scaled option is a better use of your remaining time and workout.  Either way, celebrate the effort and make sure to prioritize T2B progressions and movement practice in the coming year so that this is something you'll look back on and think how cool it is that T2B are no longer an obstacle for you (some of you are doing that very thing this year when thinking back to last year).

4. "I can do the lunges and the T2B, but bar muscle-ups? Yeah right."  Saturday will be a day to test yourself, and hopefully get that first bar muscle-up rep!  If you've been in the gym the last several days you may have witnessed an athlete's first-ever bar muscle-up - and 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 several of you).  There's a ton of videos and tutorials out there, but two of my favorites on the subject are THIS ONE ("Mastering the Bar Muscle-up") if you don't mind a longer video (ten-ish minutes), and THIS ONE (courtesy of Nick Sorrel) if you want something quick and succinct (literally 10 seconds, but with some very helpful notes included). 

I (Rob) posted some bar MU tips in the private Arena Ready Facebook group last year for 16.3 (under Brianne's thread which lists the 16.3 workout movements), so those may help as well if you don't mind reading through old comments.  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. 

5. "I'm going to crush this thing." If you're in this group, set a goal, and stick to your plan.  The plan should likely include the best possible way to get you to bar muscle-ups fresh enough to limit your rest periods, since that is where the majority of your time is spent versus the other movements in the workout.  For most I would recommend the following:  

-Break the toes-to-bar up early (8/8 or even sets of 4 for those who are good at T2B) to save your grip

-Keep your rest strict and on the clock when breaking sets of the T2B

-If you're flexible enough, and have long enough arms, rack the dumbbells vertically, with the bottom head resting on your traps (you can even loosen your grip and save your forearms a lot of fatigue here)

-Break-up the bar muscle-ups and keep your rest strict on the clock (not by feel) - don't allow yourself to get to failure/missing reps

-Don't blow yourself up on the DB power cleans - smooth is fast, and sprinting through them isn't worth it for most athletes

A few more notes:

A. Please don't drop the dumbbells.  We've tried to create stations for everyone to have enough space, but if you are "so tired" that you carelessly drop the DBs, you may break your toe, break the dumbbell, or hit your friend (or the wall).  This is not inevitable.  Even at 50/35 pounds, almost no matter how tired you are, this is a careless, thoughtless choice, and people will judge you for it.  Please put the DBs down like you care about your classmates and take pride in our gym.  Thank you.

B. As a spectator, please cheer for you friends from a safe place.  The benched areas we've set-up are a good option, and it's possible pockets of space will be available in the back as well.  Please be cognizant of your surroundings.

C. If you're planning to judge (thank you!) please review the workout and movement standards in advance.

E. Please remember that our coaches are athletes too, and may be prepping for their own competition.  Many of us will be on hand to help as much as we can, but some are planning to compete at some point on Saturday as well (and most of our coaches will probably be too nice to act busy with their own warm-ups) so as the clock ticks later please leave them to their own mental games if you sense they might be starting to prep!

Good luck, have fun, and be safe!  

WOD for 03-04-17:

"Open Workout 17.2"

AMRAP 12 Minutes:

2 Rounds of...

50ft Dumbbell Front Rack Walking Lunges @ 50/35 lbs (per side)

16 Toes-to-Bar

8 Dumbbell Power Cleans

2 Rounds of...

50ft Dumbbell Front Rack Walking Lunges @ 50/35 lbs (per side)

16 Bar Muscle-ups

8 Dumbbell Power Cleans

The 50 feet of walking lunges is separated into two 25-foot segments, requiring a turnaround at the 25-foot mark.  Each 5-foot segment counts as "one rep" in the workout.

The SCALED Open 17.2 workout follows the same rep scheme and set-up, but uses 35/20 lbs dumbbells, knees-above-hips instead of toes-to-bar, and chin-over-bar pull-ups instead of bar muscle-ups.