The 1 Minute Assault Bike Sprint Test

Oh man, two days in a row without a barbell in sight.  When was the last time that happened at Arena Ready??!!  Well, to be exact it was 17.2 and the day before 17.2 - back when some folks thought that the ENTIRE Open might be comprised of dumbbell workouts.  Thank goodness that didn't prove to be true. 

Not to worry, we'll hit the barbell again on Saturday.  But for now here's a double dose of Friday conditioning courtesy of a sweaty bodyweight triplet, and then an ALL OUT SPRINT. 

WOD for 03-31-17:

For Time:

600m Run

21 Toes-to-Bar

21 Burpee Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 in

400m Run

15 Toes-to-Bar

15 Burpee Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 in

200m Run

9 Toes-to-Bar

9 Burpee Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 in

Facing the box is NOT required on the burpee box jumps, and stepping-up is allowed if desired today (and NOT considered scaling). In other words, if 17.5 is still haunting your lower extremities then step-up, partner. 

-then-

1 Minute Sprint Test:

Max Calories on Assault Bike

You might want to consider taking a Lyft home after this one, even if you drove to the gym. Seriously.

(Compare to 02-11-16)

Follow @arenaready On Instagram

Ah Instagram.  Where the people are beautiful, the self-reflective posts are artsy, and the unsolicited fitness and weightlifting coaching is abundant.  We finally started an Arena Ready Instagram account (well, not entirely true since we had it for a while but only just now made it active) and would love all of you to follow us: @arenaready.  We promise to try our best to populate it with meaningful, and not so meaningful, content on a semi-regular basis.  How's that for commitment? 

Speaking of unsolicited coaching on Instagram, I just had to share this satirical gem from the folks at The Overheard Press:

Fitness Industry Threatened by Rise of Unsolicited Coaching on Instagram

The rise of unsolicited Instagram coaching has dealt a swift blow to the fitness industry.

In the last three years, the amount of unsolicited feedback on photos and videos of athletes training has jumped by 42%, according to Instagram data, while the total number of people seeking real-life coaches to help improve their fitness is down 20%.

Damon Greene, who trains in his garage, no longer seeks out coaching advice from local trainers.

“I started to realize the value of unsolicited Instagram coaching when I posted a video of myself performing a two-hundred and twenty-five pound snatch. It was a personal record for me.”

In the first 24 hours, Greene’s video received almost two-dozen comments from unidentified coaches around the world. These included helpful comments such as “Looks like 2 much weight,”  “Your pulling with your arms bro,”  and “ur back rounded that’s dangerous.”

“I really appreciated that there were so many people out there willing to take their time to improve my safety and fitness,” Greene explained.

In Los Angeles, the brunt of the downturn has fallen on personal trainers, many of whom rely on private coaching sessions for the bulk of their income. Trainers that once had 3-4 private appointments per day are now struggling to schedule half of that.

“The worst part is, the coaching that happens in Instagram comments is really concise and effective,” Says Dana Crosby, a personal trainer in Orange County.

But Greene says what motivated him to turn entirely to unsolicited Instagram coaches wasn’t just the effectiveness of their cues and corrections, but the generosity of their hearts.

“Here was a group of people I’d never met, some with private accounts, who were willing to look past the fact that I set a new PR on the snatch. Instead, this group of selfless coaches focused on what really mattered– Critiquing the minute details of my successful lift.”

“Their grammar was poor, and they often contradicted one another, but what they do is an example of truly giving back to the community. With free, unsolicited coaching like this, it really makes me wonder why anyone would pay to train with a coach in person.”

-The Overheard Press (March 29, 2017)

WOD for 03-30-17:

4 Rounds For Time:

400m Run 

40m Walking Lunges

100m Kettlebell/Dumbbell Farmer's Carry, pick load

-then-

Weighted Plank Hold:

3 x 0:45 Seconds (Rest 1:00 Between Sets)

Spring On-Boarding: April 8th & 15th

Arena Ready "End of The Open" Gathering

Stay tuned for details on date and location of our 2017 "End of The Open" Get Together.  We look forward to celebrating all of your hard work, PRs, and Open WOD battle stories!

Arena Ready Spring 2017 On-Boarding Series

Arena Ready's Spring 2017 On-Boarding Series for newcomers starts on Saturday, April 8th!

Most of you who are members at Arena Ready know that we only on-board a small number of new athletes every few months as membership spaces become available (usually because a couple of existing members moved for a job/school/etc).  We're lucky to have a community of members with a very high retention rate, and as such we have dozens and dozens of folks who have been with us for 3, 4, and even going on 5 years (from the very beginning!).  This creates the sort of unique and welcoming atmosphere we have at the gym... a close knit family of like-minded people from all different walks of life, who support and encourage each other in the pursuit of getting better.  While we receive inquiries nearly every day from new people looking to join Arena Ready, we keep the intake & on-boarding process deliberate in order to keep our membership at a constant number - putting us in that sweet spot of knowing everyone in the gym, and being able to coach each athlete in a personal manner that ultimately leads to real progress.  

Our Spring 2017 On-Boarding Series starts on Saturday, April 8th, with the "Introduction to CrossFit" class and continues the following Saturday, April 15th, with the "Beginner's CrossFit" class.  Both 90-minute classes are free, and the completion of both allows a prospective athlete to then select a membership and start taking group classes as a member at Arena Ready.  Existing members who would like to sit-in on the first half of the "Introduction to CrossFit" class are also welcome to do so, as the first 45 minutes cover the methodology of CrossFit and our specific approach to the application of that methodology at Arena Ready (a great way to get a refresher on that info if it's been a while since you've given it any thought).

Why am I telling all of you this?  Because I want you (the members of AR) to help us continue to build Arena Ready with the sort of amazing people we already have in the building.  I want your significant others, your family members, your friends, your neighbors, your loved ones - those are the folks we want to be a part of this incredible community, and those are the people who tend to stick around and really make fitness a lifestyle... because they already have you as a built-in advocate and support system.  That's not to say we don't love the complete strangers who find their way to us and eventually become big parts of the AR family - we certainly have our fair share of those stories as well.  But since so many of you ask us on a regular basis when the next on-boarding opportunity will be - because you have someone special in mind who you think might really enjoy it and benefit from the program - I wanted to post this here, with plenty of advance notice, to let everyone know.  

So send them our way and help us fill the place with the incredible people in your life.  They can register for the free classes (up to ONE WEEK PRIOR to the class date) on our website here!  Existing AR members who would like to sit-in on the first half of the "Introduction to CrossFit" class can simply show up and hang out - no need to register for the class online.

Thanks, and let us know if you have any questions!

WOD for 03-29-17:

AMRAP 21 Minutes:

21 Calorie Row

21 Kettlebell Swings @ 53/35 lbs

21 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

21 Overhead Squats @ 95/65 lbs

21 Ring Push-ups

Workout 17.5 & The End of The Open Got Me Like...

WOD for 03-28-17:

Back Squat:

Six work sets of six reps, as follows:

A) 14 Minutes For...

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

*Add to your top set from 03-21-17

B) 6 Minutes For...

Two "drop" sets:

1x6 @ 85% of your top set

1x6 @ 80% of your top set

-then-

Four 2-Minute Cycles For MAX REPS:

200m Run

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

MAX REPS Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

(Rest 2 Minutes)

This is two minutes of work followed by two minutes of rest, repeated for four cycles.  Your score is total number of chest-to-bar pull-ups completed.

Open 17.5 Score Submission Due by Monday 5pm!

D-U-N done!   

Please REMEMBER TO SUBMIT YOUR 17.5 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!  A few of you have submitted scores we haven't validated because they have slight discrepancies against what we have in our records - I'll message these folks on Monday so you can double check your scorecards and withdraw/re-enter your score if needed.    

Thanks, everyone!

WOD for 03-27-17:

Every 90 Seconds For 7 Rounds:

2 Hang Power Cleans + 2 Push Jerks

Climbing

-then-

"DT"

5 Rounds For Time:

12 Deadlifts @ 155/105 lbs

9 Hang Power Cleans

6 Push Jerks

(Compare to 03-16-15, 09-15-14, 02-08-14, and 05-03-13)

Open 17.5 Thoughts & Strategy

It's the final week of the 2017 Open at Arena Ready, and our final Saturday Open WOD brings us two movements that most of us saw coming - thrusters and double unders!  

Like we say every week - whether you're officially signed-up for the Open and will be competing on Saturday (Or Sunday), or you're just doing the workouts for fun & fitness (and to be a part of the Open energy at AR) please watch the 17.5 standards video (I have re-posted it above) and read the workout details here on the CrossFit Games website.  Due to the "time priority" nature of this workout (i.e. it's "For Time" and not an AMRAP where the time is set) AND the 40 time cap, it's important that everyone completing and judging the workout are familiar with all of the standards in advance.  Since we cannot run this workout in heats the way we've done with other workouts - and instead will have rolling stations for athletes to slot-in once a station is open - we cannot brief athletes and judges regularly throughout the day.  SO PLEASE KNOW THE STANDARDS BEFORE YOU COME IN TO THE GYM, BOTH AS AN ATHLETE AND A JUDGE.  Thank you.

Oh, and if you're entered in the Open and plan on taking the entire 40 minute cap you may want to bring a small thank you gift for your judge.  Just a thought.

Now, some logistics and then a little strategy...

First, logistics:

For some this will be the longest Open workout of 2017, as the official time cap is 40 minutes.  For those who are not officially entered in the Open, we will enforce a 25-minute time cap, which let's be honest, is even longer than I would give you if I were to program this WOD for class.  Based on the (traditionally) Rx athletes that completed the workout on Thursday evening, 25 minutes is enough time to finish if you are competent with both movements.  Additionally, if you are NOT officially entered in the Open I would plan on NOT being judged, as I think it's a lot to ask of someone to count your reps for 25 minutes.  Whether you're entered in the Open or not (and whether doing the workout Rx or Scaled), if your performance and movement deteriorates to the point of unsafe levels WE WILL CUT YOU OFF regardless of what the clock says.  Sorry I'm not sorry.  Letting someone continue on past the point of exhaustion and safe movement, particularly with these two movements, is just plain dumb.  I don't think our athletes need that warning but it makes me feel better to write it out and to say it out loud if needed.  

As stated above we will run on-going "rolling" stations instead of group heats.  The judges for each station can document the start time on the gym's running clock(s) for their athlete, and we'll use two clocks to prevent anyone getting "timed out" when either clock hits 99:59.  We will run stations of the workout during all Saturday morning classes, and if you haven't signed-up for a class please do so now, and expect to do the workout and judge one station/athlete within that hour-ish (I say "ish" because a workout like this one can run late if lots of athletes end up using most or all of the time cap).  Plan on showing up 10-15 minutes early for class so you can get yourself mobilized and primed, and so that you can sign-up on the rolling station list on the whiteboard.

Per our SOP we'll stage AR North with warm-up rowers, PVC, foam rollers, lacrosse balls, etc. so you can all throw your stuff in there (to keep the AR South gym floor open for athletes and judges) and start getting your mind right and your body ready with a thorough warm-up.  We've detailed a suggested, self-directed warm-up on the board in AR North, and you're welcome to follow that or do your own warm-up to get yourself ready to go.

Second, some thoughts on strategy:

There's actually not a lot to it this week, folks.  Some sources have over-complicated the strategy element of this workout to the point where I think they're just making up rhetoric in an effort to sound like an authority on the topic.  All the "split time" spreadsheets and "how to shorten the range of motion" suggestions are mostly nonsense, because the fact of the matter is you can pick any pace or splits that you like - the key is CAN YOU HOLD THAT PACE FOR 10 ROUNDS?  I could very easily say "Oh, you want to run a 4-minute mile?  Well that's easy, you just have to pace it correctly.  Run each 400m lap in just under 1 minute.  There you go... easy.  Have fun and thank me later." 

1) Shocker..... pacing is key.

10 rounds of ANYTHING requires pacing.  Smooth and steady is fast.  Smooth and steady is fast.  Smooth and steady is fast.  Trying to go out hot is a recipe for disaster.  Some of you saw two of the "Fittest on Earth" do the workout live on Thursday evening, and it may have skewed your impression of what you thought was possible - you have to know yourself, be honest with where your fitness level currently is (and how proficient you are with these two movements), and set a pace accordingly.  Pace it smooth and steady early on, and don't let the feeling of rounds 1 through 5 fool you into thinking it will feel that same way in rounds 6 through 10.   

The nice thing about 10 rounds is it makes the math and conceptual approach easy - if you use the 80/20 rule (go at 80% effort for 80% of the workout, and then step on the gas for the last 20%) you'll be steady and relaxed (but moving with a "sense of urgency") through round 8, and then you'll leave it all out there in rounds 9 and 10.  For example, if your completion goal is 15 minutes this means one round every 1:30, and if you feel good at 12:00 then go like hell to beat your goal time.  If, by chance, you look at the clock after 4 rounds and you're at 4 or 5-ish minutes (which many of you are capable of for 4 rounds) then expect that you'll soon feel like someone punched you in the face and breadbasket simultaneously with brass knuckles - and for a lot of us there's no coming back from that.  

Is your goal 20 minutes?  Then the above applies at a "1 round every 2:00" pace.  30 minutes?  Then it's 1 round every 3:00.  You get the point.  The longer your goal time is (e.g. those of you shooting for 20+ or 25+ minutes) the more you can fudge the early rounds and start just a bit faster (think roughly 10% or so faster), with the assumption that fatigue will eventually slow each successive round regardless, and you'll be glad you started just a bit ahead of your goal pace.     

So, pick a pace that's reasonable based on the fact that:

A) 9 thrusters unbroken at a decent tempo + 35 double unders unbroken + non-rushed transition time between movements = approximately 45 to 50 seconds for "very fit non-professional CrossFit athletes who are gainfully employed and cannot work out seven times a day" AKA Rx/Black level "every day" people that are good at both movements.

B) Most (if not all) of us without Regionals aspirations cannot hold that same pace listed above in "A" past a handful of rounds (think "how long could I do 9 and 35 if we were doing it in an EMOM workout?" and be HONEST with yourself).

C) Breaking up the movements into sets will add significant time to each round, so if you're not planning on going "unbroken" through most of the rounds then start building your pace/splits/goal time on the basis that you'll have to break up the movements in the second half of the workout anyway.     

D) It's much easier to speed up in the second half of the workout if you feel good and realize that you're capable of something faster than your original plan than it is to try and hold on for dear life because you started out way too fast and only learned about it when previously mentioned brass knuckes smack you in the windpipe.

Breaking up the thrusters into sets is a matter of specific athlete ability.  There are a few of you that shouldn't put the bar down at all, many of you that will benefit from 2 sets (5 and 4, or 6 and 3), and some who will need to split it up into smaller sets (4s or 3s or 2s) early and often.  You need to know yourself as an athlete and do what it takes to keep the engine under the redline.  A good rule of thumb is "no strained reps for as long as possible" - meaning if you feel like you'll need to really gather yourself to stand up the squat or press out the top of the rep, or the speed of the reps is noticeably slowing, then put it down before the next one.

The topic of breaking up the double unders is a simple one for most of us.  If you're good at them DON'T BREAK THEM UP - 35 is a small enough number that breaking them is unnecessary, and you should instead be using the transition time between movements as an opportunity to build-in "rest" if needed.  If you're not good at DUs then you're going to be missing anyway so just try your best to relax, stay calm, and get as many "runs" of consistent reps as you can.  There's a lot of time under the cap and keeping your cool is a big part of fighting through the frustration of DU misses.     

2) Warm-up all the movements but don't go crazy.

You want to get some aerobic work in so the workout is not a shock to the body, but no need to "do the workout before doing the workout."  Get the heart rate up, get a little sweat going if that works for you, do a little "heart rate wake-up burst" or two near the end of your warm-up, and then let it come down a bit before you start (all of this is already detailed in the warm-up we wrote on the board).  Beyond that, and some focused mobility and movement prep, you don't need much else.  This is not the time to make up for lost technique or skill work (particularly for double unders), lest you end up doing half of the workout before you even start the workout.  Your calves, feet, shins, and Achilles can only take so much in one day, friends!

Speaking of mobility and dynamic movement prep...

3) Hips, Shoulder Girdle, Wrists, Calves/Feet/Achilles, and Upper Pecs.

Get these bad boys ready.  You know what your body needs to get blood the pumping and your tissues unglued.  We've written some suggested mobility and movement prep items on the warm-up board, but feel free to do the ones you like to make sure you're good to go.  Your hips (and ankles too) need to be ready for the bottom position of the thruster, and your shoulders need to be ready for the overhead piece of the thruster.  And, obviously, 350 double unders is a lot - particularly if you're not great at the movement - so prepare for the impact as best you can (and for those prone to lower extremity issues you may want to set your own "personal time cap" as a responsible way to keep yourself out of the zone of "crap, I should've been smarter and stopped before I aggravated my connective tissue issues").  

4) Weightlifting shoes only help if you can do 350 double unders in them comfortably and without pain or risk of aggravating something.  In other words, for most of us it's not worth it. 

I know they make thrusters easier, duh.  But this is a lot of jumping and those suckers have no padding and very little give, so for most of us putting them on to jump this many times is a no go.  Be smart and take care of your feet/ankles/shins/etc.  - maybe just do some extra ankle mobility instead?

5) Embrace the suck. 

This is supposed to be hard.  That's exactly why you do it.  If it were easy it wouldn't be worth doing.  So when your pacing strategy gets you through the first 4, 5, or 6 rounds unscathed, and then the suck factor sets in and lets you know that the rest of the workout is going be uncomfortable, try to remember that this is exactly where you want to be... exactly where you knew you would be.  Embrace it.  Get comfortable with uncomfortable.  This is what makes you better.  This is why you're here... be smart, try hard, and channel that badass athlete that lives inside you.

WOD FOR 03-25-17:

"Open 17.5" 

10 Rounds For Time (40 Minute Time Cap):

9 Thrusters @ 95/65 lbs (SCALED = 65/45 lbs)

35 Double Unders (SCALED = Single Unders)

Open 17.5 Is Upon Us!

The final workout of the 2017 Open is here!  We've been pretty close with our guesses each week, and this one was right in line with what we expected - so hopefully you've been mentally preparing already (heh).  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 17.5 Open Saturday at Arena Ready, including logistics and basic strategy tips, in tomorrow's (Friday evening's) post.  

WOD for 03-24-17:

"Rowling":

10 Frames (to 100m) For Lowest Possible Score

(Compare to 08-26-16)

Rowling is a rowing game that uses a similar format to that of bowling.  Each athlete will row 10 “frames” to 100m - the goal for each frame is to stop the counter as close to 100m as possible.  If, when the counter stops, it reads 102m, your score for that frame is 2 (the score would be the same if the counter read 98m).  If the counter stops at 100m exactly, your score for the frame is 0 and would be equivalent to a strike in bowling (best possible frame score).  The goal is to have the lowest score for each frame and the lowest accumulated score for the game.

Much like a strike in the 10th frame in bowling, if you row 100m exactly in the 10th frame then you get another frame to row - and if you row 100m again you get a third (and final) attempt.  Any 100m rows in the 10th frame REPLACE a frame of your choice from frames 1-9 (thus lowering your total score). 

Half pulls and quarter pulls on the rower are allowed if desired, but stopping the stroke or chain completely constitutes the end of the frame (i.e. you cannot intentionally stop and re-start the stroke or chain in an effort to slow the meter counter to your advantage).  There is no required speed at which you must row, but let's be grown men and women and row fast - there's no glory in winning if you rowed like a wimp. 

-then-

A) Against a 6-Minute Clock:

50/40 Calorie Row

40 Walking Lunges

MAX REPS Hang Power Snatches @ 95/65 lbs

-REST 3 MINUTES THEN-

B) Against a 4-Minute Clock:

30/25 Calorie Row

20 Walking Lunges

MAX REPS Hang Power Snatches @ 95/65 lbs

The Final Week: Open 17.5 Announcement on Thursday at 5pm!

Reminder that we'll be viewing the announcement of Workout 17.5 (The FINAL workout of the 2017 Open!!!) 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 the two-time defending champ, Katrin Davidsdottir, do battle against the 3rd place finisher from both 2015 and 2016, Sara Sigmundsdottir, live from Madison, WI, as they tackle 17.5 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 17.5 before you leave town for that business trip or mini-vacation... get it in, Open Athletes!

What's in store for us in the 2017 finale??!!  Dumbbell thrusters?  Double Unders?  Ring muscle-ups?  We shall see...

WOD for 03-23-17:

Sumo Deadlift:

6-6-6-6-6

Climbing

-then-

"Heavy Helen"

3 Rounds For Time:

400m Run

21 Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs

12 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups

(Compare to 06-21-16)

Every Time You Don't Hook Grip...

...a clean or a snatch, a little piece of me dies inside.  Seriously.  

A few weeks ago a fairly experienced athlete at the gym (who shall remain nameless... don't worry, A.T., it wasn't you LOL) said to me something to the effect of, "Huh, we don't really cover the hook grip that much. Plus it hurts my thumbs, so I don't really do it anymore (insert chuckle here)."  I almost started crying.  The picture of Michelle above crushing some snatches from 17.3 with a hook grip has since made me feel better.   

I pointed out to said nameless athlete that we've posted about the kook grip many times over the years, including THIS POST HERE which we've shared several times, that we coach it (in varying degrees) in nearly every class that includes snatches or cleans, and that I've actually seen him/her hook gripping the bar previously... on multiple occasions.  Said athlete then looked at me with sadface and pleaded, "Well, yeah sometimes I do it, but it still kinda hurts.  But, like, what about my thumbs?"  

WHAT ABOUT MY DYING SOUL?!

Kidding.  Sort of.  But seriously folks, I know the hook grip can be uncomfortable but it really does help, and it becomes quite essential when snatching or cleaning with any weight (or rep scheme) of significance.  I realize that some athletes have small hands, but before you start feeling too sorry for your small hands and little thumbs consider this:        

That little guy weighs 123 pounds and there he is snatching 289 pounds.  I'd be willing to bet his hands are much smaller than any other gentleman in our gym, but trust me he did not lift that weight without a hook grip, and that barbell has the same 28mm diameter as the "red bars" we use.  

As mentioned in the linked post above you can tape your thumbs to help with the initial discomfort, and we can show you how (that linked post has a video showing how most of us do it) - we provide free tape at the gym so use it (but please don't abuse it)!  You can also stretch your thumbs to help adjust to the position required in the hook grip - come to class on Wednesday and we'll show you a little stretch that might do the trick over time. 

Still not convinced?  Ok, have fun with the hang power cleans on this one then, while your partner waits for you LOL...

WOD for 03-22-17:

With a Partner For Total Time:

BUY-IN: 1,000m Row SHARED

Then, BOTH Athletes Complete...

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Hang Power Cleans @ 155/110 lbs

20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2

Box Jumps @ 24/20 in

BUY-OUT: 1,000m Row SHARED

***The rows may be shared/partitioned in any fashion (does not have to be evenly split), and the round of 10 Hang Power Cleans cannot start until the first 1,000m is complete.  

***Both partners must complete the 10-to-1 / 20-to-2 sequence, with one partner working at a time to complete a full round before the other partner starts their full round (e.g. Partner A performs 10 Hang Power Cleans and 20 Box Jumps, then Partner B performs 10 Hang Power Cleans and 20 Box Jumps).  

17.4 Group Shot

Jenny M was sorely missed this past weekend during Open 17.4 for more reasons than her awesome artistic skills.  I tried taking the group shot that Sarah so thoughtfully remembered to snap on her phone and applying a Squarespace filter to it (this one is called "Arizona") - and well... there you have it... 

Not so great but at least we documented it, Jenny!  

Plus everyone gets a preview of the confusing surprises Bret has in store for us during future iterations of everyone's favorite QoD game... "WHAT COLOR TANK TOP IS...........???!!!"

WOD for 03-21-17:

Back Squat:

Six work sets of six reps, as follows:

A) 14 Minutes For...

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

*Add to your top set from 03-13-17

B) 6 Minutes For...

Two "drop" sets:

1x6 @ 85% of your top set

1x6 @ 80% of your top set

-then-

Against a 9-Minute Clock:

500m Row

5 Rounds of "Cindy"

MAX REPS Dumbbell Thrusters @ 50/35 lbs (per side)

1 Round of "Cindy" is: 5 Pull-ups / 10 Push-ups / 15 Air Squats

Score this workout by the number of dumbbell thruster reps completed.

Open 17.4 Score Submissions Due By Monday 5pm!

Well, the re-test of Open 16.4 in the form of Open 17.4 produced nearly a clean sweep of score improvements at Arena Ready, including many athletes smashing their 2016 performances by a mile.  This was definitely one of the more "fun" (if I may use that word LOL) Open workouts this year, and our gym really got behind every competitor who took on the challenge of this 55s Chipper.  Great work, everyone!    

Please REMEMBER TO SUBMIT YOUR 17.4 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!  Several of you have submitted scores we haven't validated because they have slight discrepancies against what we have in our records - most are likely an accidental entry of an incorrect or non-applicable tiebreak time, so not a big deal (but we'd still like to keep everyone accurate).  I'll message these folks on Monday so you can double check your scorecards and withdraw/re-enter your score if needed.    

We're in the home stretch with only one week (and one Open workout) left to go!

WOD for 03-20-17:

Hang Power Snatch + Hang Squat Snatch + Overhead Squat:

5 Sets of (1+1+1)

Climbing as technique allows (ideally with "no misses") to a top set.

If possible add 5% to your top set from 03-09-17.

-then-

"Halfsies"

For Time:

80-60-40

Double Unders

40-30-20

AbMat Sit-ups

20-15-10

Ring Dips

(Compare to 03-21-16)

Open 17.4 Thoughts & Strategy

First, some logistics:

17.4 is a repeat of 16.4 from last year's Open, so it's a great re-test for those who performed this workout last year in the Open, whether it was here at Arena Ready or at another gym.  This workout brings us the first "Chipper-style" workout, a series of four movements in bigger rep sets, which - for most athletes - will be a "get as far as you can through the order" type of WOD.  As with every week during the five-week Open 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.  The movement standard for the handstand push-up will be the biggest logistical point you'll need to be prepared for this week (assuming you're fairly fit and good at the first three movements at the Rx weights) so that our heats run on time.  Don't worry about wrangling the tape measure for every heat to measure the 3-inch drop from your wrist (watch the video if you're not sure what I'm talking about) - we'll have the judges use Post-It notes which are exactly 3 inches square, and we can stick them to the wall to measure to the distance from your wrists to the tape line for your handstand push-ups.  This makes for a much faster logistics transition time between heats.

We will run 3 heats of WOD 17.4 per class during all Saturday morning classes, with 5-6 athletes per heat.  Plan on showing up 10-15 minutes early for class (sign-up for class as you would normally) so you can get yourself warmed-up/mobilized/primed, and get yourself on the list for a specific heat time. As with previous Open WODs we'll detail a suggested, self-directed warm-up on the board in AR North, and you're welcome to follow that or do your own warm-up to get you ready to go prior to your heat.

 

A few words of caution regarding deadlifts and handstand push-ups: 

Deadlifts for time can present athletes with the challenge of making a smart decision every time when picking up the bar.  We all know what it feels like to set the back and pick up a heavy object with proper midline stability, and conversely what it feels like not to do so - we ask that you make a good decision every time, even as you attempt to push yourself in the workout.  Knowingly executing a heavy (or even not so heavy) deadlift with poor position will eventually lead to back pain and likely to injury - so please don't do it.  Your health and safety are more important than a score on a workout, and if you can't come back next week to train then what's the point? 

Just like we do in class every time HSPUs are programmed, we're going to be on you about being smart with regard to your head/neck.  Just because this is a competition we don't feel any differently.  If you cannot do HSPUs without slamming onto your head or losing control of the movement, then DON'T DO THEM.  Your head and neck are serious business, so don't try to be a hero when you're inverted - play it smart and protect ya' neck!

"Chin down" or "tuck your chin" is something you'll hear us say during the workout.  You've heard it a million times before from us - but just in case, we basically mean "don't look down, or don't look at the floor."  Keep your head and neck in a neutral position and look at the top of the pull-up rig (or the clock).  Don't overdo it and tuck your chin too much either though.  Neutral.

If you have any concerns or questions about HSPUs - safety or otherwise - please speak with a coach at the gym so that we can help guide you.  That's what we're here for!

Now some strategy for the main categories of athletes who will be doing this workout:

Category 1: Deadlift 225/155 lbs for 55 reps, are you kidding me?!

Is the Rx weight something in the neighborhood (10-20%) of what you've lifted before, even for 1 or 2 reps?  If the Rx weight is something you can lift with good technique, but it feels challenging and heavy, you may be in the boat of thinking of this workout as "13 minutes to do as many beautiful heavy deadlift singles (or doubles) as is reasonably possible" (and no, those things are not mutually exclusive).  Maybe you could surprise yourself - many athletes certainly did so last year in the Open, including a memorable performance by Kyle, who at the time had never deadlifted anything close to 225 lbs... when he did the WOD he proceeded to complete all 55 reps, making sure to set his back and mid-line every single time.  It was awesome to watch.  Remember, you don't have to rush - you just want to get as far along as you can with solid position and technique.  "Try hard" does not mean "get sloppy."

If 225/155 lbs is simply far too heavy and you just aren't in that neighborhood yet, then consider doing the scaled version of the workout which uses 135/95 lbs for the deadlift.  If you have no idea where you fall in the spectrum then find a coach while you're warming up and ask them for their advice - they can help guide you and provide some insight on what is realistic and appropriate.    

Category 2: The deadlift weight is doable but holy crap then 55 wall balls and a 55 calorie row?!

This one's easy.  You have the remainder of the 13 minutes left after deadlifts to get as far as you can... and wall balls and rowing, while perhaps not your favorite things in the world, will not kill you.  Ever.  So suck it up and chip away steadily (it is a chipper workout after all).  In fact these two movements are mostly a gut check for you, and a test of how efficiently you can move.  The prettier your squat is at the bottom of the wall ball, and the less you "suffer" on the rower (read: slump over and pull on it like you're drunk and gasping for air), the more you'll be able to keep moving at a consistent pace.  So hold yourself to a reasonable number on the wall balls if they're your nemesis (sets of 3? 5? 7?), keep rest periods short in between, and focus on a controlled tempo down, and fast up, to help catapult the ball with your bigger muscles (legs & hips). On the rower sit up taller so you can breathe more efficiently, and focus on a long drive/pull out of the catch with a slightly slower recovery back in (think about the analogy to runners being faster with long strides as opposed to quick, choppy steps).  Move smoother & move better to go faster.  Don't panic.   

Category 3: Handstand push-ups after all that? Yeah right.

How far are you from handstand push-ups (HSPU) being a reality?  If you can't kick up to the wall and support yourself safely & reliably and/or lower yourself onto your head under control, then now is likely not the time to try and get that first one... especially considering you'll just have completed 55 deadlifts, wall balls, and calories on the rower, and will be very fatigued.  There's probably only a very small number of folks at the gym who are fit enough to get to the HSPUs, but who are far from being able to safely do one (so I'll end this train of thought right now).

If you know you have a good shot at making it to the HSPUs, and you can do HSPU but they're not really your jam (i.e. sometimes you have to scale them with an AbMat, or you can normally only do really small sets in WODs, etc.) then your game plan should be to get through the first three movements as fast as you possibly can without red-lining, and leave yourself with enough time to: a) possibly rest a bit after the row to feel slightly recovered before your first HSPU rep; and b) feel confident about doing the HSPU in very small sets from the start (even singles or doubles).  And by "rest after the row" I mean everything from 20-30 seconds for those who are pretty decent under fatigue to quite literally "sit down for a minute and get your shit together" for those who really need to get their wind back and feel 100% sure they can make that first rep.  You're trying to limit no-reps because those are exhausting and time consuming - making three successful singles in one minute with no misses is way better/easier than missing five or six times, and maybe making one or two, because you just stubbornly kept kicking back up there before your body was really ready. 

Remember to try the HSPU standard in the warm-up area so you're familiar with how it feels and where you need to put your hands in order for the rep to count.  It's quite challenging if you've never tried it before, so don't overlook this point (especially if you tend to do your HSPU with very wide hands, very far from the wall, or with a hyperextended/overextended back).  Pull your toes toward your shins (i.e. dorsiflex your foot) at the top of each rep so that your heels reach farther up the wall - this should help you mitigate the risk of your feet not being high enough for the rep to count.  This paragraph also pertains to the next/last category of athletes...   

Category 4: I can do all of that stuff, either very well or decently well. Bring it.

Sometimes this category needs the least amount of advice, and sometimes they need the most haha.  So I'll try to keep it simple and we can take it from there (i.e. ask us in more detail at the gym if you so desire)...  

Don't rush the deadlifts.  If you're a REALLY strong deadlifter and have lots of fitness then the sets should be bigger - i.e. 5 sets of 11, or 10s then 8s then 5s, or something in this ballpark.  If you're not the best deadlifter then think more like sets of 5 with quick forced breaks early (we're talking a couple breaths and then go again).  Either way don't blow it out on the deads - move steadily and with a purpose, but be smart about breaks and time under tension.  You want to avoid strained reps since those are what really tax your system over the rest of the workout.  Reps 1 through 35 will feel like no problem, but reps 36 - 55 are significantly harder for many so don't be deceived by how easy they feel to start - it's a little like a big set of push-ups in a workout... no problem when you start, and then if you don't break them early you hit the "oh crap this got really hard all of a sudden" landmark.

Wall balls can and should be done in bigger sets than the deadlifts.  If you consider yourself in this category then you should be able to do exactly that.  This should be aerobic for you and not an issue of muscular fatigue (if it's the latter then you should reconsider yourself being in this category, sorry) - the only caveat being that you need to save the shoulders for the HSPU, so driving the reps with the legs and hips from the start is the way to go (don't space out and forget about that early on).  If you like to rest standing with the ball pinned between your chest and the wall then do so (if you don't then stick with dropping the ball) - it can save you time and extra movement over the course of multiple breaks, just make sure to let your arms hang by your sides when you do so so they can relax and recover.

Row the first 5-10 calories a little slower than the next 20-30 in order to get your wind a little and allow yourself to settle into a good rhythm.  Focus on your breathing and hold the pace you've already calculated to be reasonable for your rowing proficiency (e.g. 1,000 cal/hr = 3:18 total row time).  If needed slow down a little during the last 10-15 calories so that you can breathe deeply and then start the first set of HSPU faster.      

Stay ahead of failure on the HSPU!  In fact stay ahead of moving slowly while upside down, resting on your head, or resting at the top of the rep for as long as possible.  For some this will be sets of 3-5 to start.  For others a big set to start may be better, but it should be fast (no straining or "resting" while upside down).  Muscular fatigue is very different than other types of fatigue in that if you're too far in the hole you simply have no choice but to stare at the wall and wait/hope/dream for your arms and shoulders to come back to you (with other types of fatigue you can sometimes fight through it).  Lastly, I'll re-post the final paragraph from the previous category since it's important for this group as well...

Remember to try the HSPU standard in the warm-up area so you're familiar with how it feels and where you need to put your hands in order for the rep to count.  It's quite challenging if you've never tried it before, so don't overlook this point (especially if you tend to do your HSPU with very wide hands, very far from the wall, or with a hyperextended/overextended back).  Pull your toes toward your shins (i.e. dorsiflex your foot) at the top of each rep so that your heels reach farther up the wall - this should help you mitigate the risk of your feet not being high enough for the rep to count.  

OK, let's do this!  See you all this weekend for an awesome 17.4!

WOD for 03-18-17:

"Open Workout 17.4" (AKA "Open Workout 16.4")

AMRAP 13 Minutes:

55 Deadlifts @ 225/155 lbs (Scaled = 135/95 lbs)

55 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft (Scaled = 20/10 lbs to 9/9 ft)

55 Calorie Row

55 Handstand Push-ups (Scaled = Hand Release Push-ups) 

(Compare to 03-19-16)