Workout of the Day
Jenny Captures Open 18.2
Check out the energy and emotion of 18.2 at Arena Ready courtesy of the amazingly talented Jenny (oh happy dawn photography): click here for the full gallery.
Thank you, as always, Jenny for capturing the spirit of our people!
WOD For 03-07-18:
With a Partner For Time:
BUY-IN: 1000m RUN (TOGETHER)
... then...
50 Curtis P Complexes @ 95/65 lbs (SPLIT)
***4 Burpees at the Top of Every Minute (TOGETHER)***
... then...
BUY-OUT: 1000m ROW (SPLIT)
1 Curtis P Complex = Power Clean + Lunge (Right) + Lunge (Left) + Push Press
Partners must run the buy-in together (i.e. both partners will complete a 1000m run). The Curtis P Complexes cannot start until both partners have completed the run.
The 50 Curtis P Complex reps are split, and can be shared/partitioned between partners in any fashion. While inside the gym 4 burpees must be completed by both partners at the top of every minute until the 50th Curtis P Complex is complete.
The buy-out row is split with only one person working at a time.
Evans Avenue Parking
As construction up the hill puts the squeeze on parking we wanted to post another reminder to utilize Evans Avenue (just off of Cesar Chavez) for parking when the bottom of Connecticut Street near the gym is full. Don't drive up the hill to park.
Evans Avenue parking is especially useful during the 7am, 12pm, and 4pm classes when parking immediately next to the gym can sometimes get full (particularly on Wednesdays during street cleaning). As you would anywhere in the city, be sure not to leave any valuables in the car or any items visible from the outside.
I get it... it "feels" like going over to Evans is driving farther away from the gym for some reason - but it's not. It puts you just 1,000 feet or so away from the gym (through two crosswalks), and there's almost always plenty of free parking available - check out a visual orientation by clicking here:
The blue dot is Arena Ready... the red pin is where you should park instead of driving up the hill on Connecticut Street. See, not so far - in fact, I think the 3 minute walking estimate is only accurate if you have to wait at both crosswalks.
If you came in for Monday's WOD then your legs probably feel better post-18.2 than they would have otherwise, so good on ya. On that note, here come our 8s on a one-day delay... who ever said I'm not sympathetic?
WOD For 03-06-18:
Back Squat:
15 Minutes To Establish a Heavy Set of Eight, then...
Two Drop Sets:
1x8 @ 85% of your top set
1x8 @ 80% of your top set
-then-
EMOM For 10 Minutes:
25 Double Unders
1 Hang Snatch
Pick a load to use across all 10 rounds OR start with a working weight and aim to make SMALL jumps in weight every round (or every other round). Power and full/squat snatches are both allowed. The goal is 10 consecutive makes with no misses.
18.2/18.2A Scores Due by 5pm Monday
Reminder to SUBMIT YOUR 18.2/18.2A score to the CrossFit Games website by Monday at 5pm. We cannot submit your score for you so if you're reading this just do it now so you don't forget!
A part of the crew from Saturday's Open 18.2 extravaganza!
In light of 18.2 we'll push our Monday back squat 8s back (pun intended) a little this week, and hit the other side of those strong legs instead. After all, every day is leg day when you're running from your problems.
#MondayInspirationByRob
WOD For 03-05-18:
2 Rounds For Time:
800m Run
21 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
15 Strict Handstand Push-ups
9 Deadlifts @ 315/225 lbs
18.2/18.2A Thoughts & Strategy
Open Athletes - if you haven't already, please watch the 18.2 standards video below (which briefly covers only Rx standards), and read the full workout details here on the CrossFit Games website. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page with movement standards and expectations (both Rx and scaled) prior to every athlete and judge starting their workout/heat. In particular, everyone should be familiar with the "new" bar facing burpee standard for Rx athletes.
You'll also need to enter your score on the CrossFit Games website before the submission deadline at 5pm on Monday.
Hey, lookie there! We have a 1-to-10 met-con with loaded squats and burpees FOLLOWED by a heavy lift... sound familiar to any of you? Well it should because you've done many workouts in this basic format -- not this exact WOD per se, but you've trained and felt this stimulus at least several times previously if you've been at Arena Ready for any length of time. So have some fun, go hard, be smart, and support each other!
As we've covered previously in this post here, we'll be running the Open Workout ("18.2/18.2A") during rolling heats in all of our Saturday morning classes. If you haven't already 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).
For those new to Arena Ready please note that these Saturday morning classes will be very different from our usual protocol. The warm-up will be self-directed and written on the board in AR North for you to follow. 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. If you tend to be particular about your exact heat time, station location, Instagram lighting, and general feng shui of your workout then show-up early to sign-up for a preferred heat & station -- being late to the game AND picky about your situation is not the jam.
If you're not officially entered in the Open then ask a coach on site to help you decide on a reasonable dumbbell weight for scaling the workout appropriately -- it doesn't necessarily need to be one of the exact weights listed by CrossFit HQ for the Open, and based on availability & logistics we may assign you to an approximate weight to give priority to the athletes who are officially registered (and who, thus, will be voting on the tap for the new gym).
Let's break this one down a little and get you thinking about how best to approach the workout given your current capacity...
1-to-10 Couplet: Pacing and General Thoughts
I feel like at Arena Ready I don't have to remind you of this given all the smarties in the room, but I will anyway: WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED WITH THE ROUND OF 7 YOU'RE ONLY HALFWAY DONE. The second half of the workout starts with the round of 8, so when it feels silly to be pacing rounds 1 through 5 a little remember where you are and stick to your plan.
Now what pace should you pick? That depends on your strengths and weaknesses, and capacity with the movements. When you're warming up you need to figure out: 1) how to "hold" or "rack" the dumbbells at the shoulders so that you can support them comfortably & return them to the ground without breaking your toes (seriously); 2) your cadence for the squats, one that you can hold steady through all 55 reps; and 3) the cadence for the burpees, one that you can hold steady for rounds 1 through 9 before sprinting round 10, AND the movement sequence which makes the burpees the most efficient for you (i.e. how will you jump over the bar, how will you pivot after landing, etc.). We'll cover these items a bit in the movement breakdowns below.
This is a competition, so if even just ONE rep (or several) can be performed safely at Rx then you have the option of spending as much time as needed (up to 12 minutes!) getting as far along in the Rx workout sequence as you can with good mechanics and movement (e.g. you're being safe & smart while trying really, really, really hard). Remember that even an Rx score of 1 rep ranks higher than every scaled score in the world (including those scaled athletes who registered a score on the 1RM clean), so if you can safely fight for that one good rep (or several) it may be a battle worth fighting.
Dumbbell Squats
Depending on your mobility, stability, and squatting "style" there will likely be an ideal way to hold (or "rack") the DBs so that you feel stable, strong, and relatively comfortable. In general you want a position that allows your torso to be as upright as possible so that you put as much of the work on your strong legs (your quads in particular) and NOT on your back (due to leaning and/or "crumpling" forward). If wearing weightlifting shoes helps you to do this, and you've done jumping burpees in them before with no issue, then go ahead and wear them. If this weight is not an issue for you and/or you normally train in your flats then don't make the change now unnecessarily.
Remember that the front squats are going to jack-up your heart rate too, not just the burpees, so you need to find a cadence that will allow you to keep moving steadily and prohibit putting the DBs down to break the sets. if the weight is heavy for you then this cadence is going to be pretty methodical and paced -- if it's light then it will be faster to limit the time under load. Either way the ideal place to rest (if needed) is at the TOP of the rep and not by putting the DBs down on the floor -- this assumes you're not in a sketchy position or about ready to fall over (in which case put the things down, obviously). Our self-directed warm-up should help you find a relative cadence for both the squats and the burpees, so get in early and incorporate this practice into your warm-up!
If you're thinking "Can I drop the DBs after round 10 like Vellner and Ohlson did at the live announcement???!!!" And my answer is...... YES! But only if you can do this workout in under 5 minutes, otherwise I might kick you out of the gym. Dropping DBs as a recreational CrossFitter is like doing a touchdown dance when you're still down 42-7. You look like an asshole.
Bar Facing Burpees
As we said above PLEASE READ THE NEW STANDARD FOR THIS MOVEMENT. You've done these, or some form of these, more times than you probably want to think about. So I won't drone on about how to do the burpees, but I will remind you (again) that pacing is key -- so use the warm-up to practice your pacing (count beats in your head as you jump, pivot, pop down, pop up) so that your cadence and pacing is methodical and repeatable. And this sounds silly, but don't forget to breathe!!! Breathe through the reps themselves but also make a conscious effort to take a deep breath or two during the transitions to help you focus on remaining calm and moving at the correct rate for you.
1RM (Barbell) Clean
If you know you have a shot at completing 55 DB squats and 55 bar facing burpees within 12 minutes then you need to have a strategy for the "1RM" clean. 1RM is in quotes because this may not be your actual 1RM, it will just be your 1RM for today, after all that exercise, and within the small window of time you have remaining. So for a small percentage of people that may actually be a new 1RM, but remember that a clean of ANY weight beats a zero, and even smaller jumps in weight for a successful next rep beats another several hundred (if not thousand) people in the world. So while we want to see you excel and lift what you're capable of, we also want you to not take too big of jumps in weight which could result in you leaving pounds on the table, putting yourself in a sketchy lift (potentially getting hurt unnecessarily), and generally reinforcing bad habits that are hard to break.
Set the barbell to what you think your opening weight will be, and warm-up to your opening weight before the workout starts (I wouldn't go above it in warm-ups). If you need a rough attempts guideline of what I think will work for most people, here you go:
Attempt 1 - 65% of Your Current 1RM (after taking ample rest in the context of the time remaining)
Attempt 2 - 75%
Attempt 3 - 80-85%
Attempt 4 - 90-95%
Have more time? Great, then you'll know (and feel) what to do at that point.
This is approximate and does not apply to everyone, and it assumes you have time for 4 lifts (many will not). But again, if you only have time for say 1 lift -- that 1 successful lift beats so many other lifts that you must focus on having makes (or one make) by taking weights intelligently.
Universal MUSTS for everyone on the clean (in a gym where we take pride in Olympic weightlifting for various reasons):
1) It has to be a clean. It can be power, muscle, squat, or even split (bring your feet back together!) -- but if it looks like some horrible improv dance move that's about to break you in half then we will cut you off without hesitation, and I don't care how mad it makes you. Hugs!
2) You're not allowed to let your elbows touch your knees or legs. If you want to argue with me then I'll give you the number for a few athletes I've watched (not in our gym) break their wrists by doing this. Oh, and we'll cut you off.
3) if you care about your wrists, collarbone, and ribs you MUST get your elbows around fast and high -- no exceptions. The faster you do it the safer the lift is, even if you end up bailing out and dropping the barbell.
Closing Remarks
I wrote this last week and I think I may use it every week during the Open:
Be smart and move well. You know what that means, I don't have to explain that one to you. The weights will be here tomorrow... will you be?
Cheer for your fellow athletes, and be a good judge. We do things the right way at Arena Ready -- with integrity and to the standards of the competition. Our movement is clean, our technique is admirable, our effort is 100%, and our members know the difference between intent and accomplishment (e.g. giving your fellow athlete a respectful but deserved no-rep when they're working their ass off but simply didn't accomplish a valid rep). The spirit of the Open is amazing - there's nothing like the energy and positive family vibe of these 5 weeks. Many of your buddies will do things they never thought possible, some will fall short of what they wanted and be frustrated for a bit, and others will have experiences on both sides. But in the end this is our community, and our AR family, and we support each other in success and in failure... knowing that we're all just trying to get better every day.
GO TIME!
WOD For 03-03-18:
"Open 18.2"
For Time (12 Minute Cap):
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10
Dumbbell Squats @ 50/35 lbs each side
Bar Facing Burpees
... After completion of 18.2, and with any remaining time under the 12 minute cap...
"Open 18.2A"
Establish a 1-Rep Max Clean
18.2 (and 18.2A) Announced!
Open workout "18.2" was released on Thursday evening, and a little additional surprise of "18.2A" was also part of the fun announcement. 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 (which covers only the Rx workout, and not the scaled version) - thanks!
WOD For 03-02-18:
FIVE 2-Minute Cycles For Max Reps:
21/15 Calorie Row OR Ski
12 Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs
Max Reps Shoulder-to-Overhead @ 155/110 lbs
(Rest 2 Minutes)
Open 18.2: Any Guesses?
Week two is upon us and Open 18.2 will be announced at 5pm on Thursday evening. Come by the gym to watch the live announcement of the workout, and if you need to do 18.2 on Thursday evening our 7pm "The OPEN" class is the time to get it done before you head out of town on that Tahoe weekend trip or to your cousin's wedding in Des Moines.
Amy guesses on what 18.2 will be? I think Baby Dubs is wondering if dubs will be involved...
WOD For 03-01-18:
Alternating EMOM For 4 Rounds (8 Minutes):
1) 40 Seconds of Strict Pull-ups
2) 40 Seconds of Medicine Ball Sit-ups (pick load)
-then-
AMRAP 9 Minutes:
9 Hang Power Snatches @ 95/65 lbs
15 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
9 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls @ 95/65 lbs
Jenny Captures Open 18.1
Perhaps more anticipated every year at Arena Ready is not necessarily the Open workouts themselves, but rather Jenny's amazing photos capturing the spirit of the Open and of our awesome people. Just as she has every year, Jenny manages to document the range of emotions, the tenacity of our athletes, the support of our community, and the beauty of this common bond that brings us all together -- challenging ourselves to be just a little better every day.
Here's the link to Jenny's Open 18.1 gallery. Thank you as always, Jenny (AKA Oh Happy Dawn Photography) for all that you do!
WOD For 02-28-18:
Hang Power Clean:
3-3-3-3-3
Climbing
-then-
3 Rounds For Time:
15 Pistols (alternating)
15 Handstand Push-ups
15 Hang Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs
Thank You For a Great 18.1!
With the first Open workout of 2018 in the books we're looking forward to four more to follow! The energy in the gym on Saturday morning (and Thursday night and Sunday morning) was fantastic -- thanks to everyone who participated whether it be competing, judging, cheering, coaching, or some combination of it all.
Hopefully Monday's light/moderate overhead squats helped to open up those tight 18.1 toes-to-bar pecs, and the sprint couplet gave you a dose of that short domain intensity that the sprinters among us love. Since Saturdays for the next month will be the current week's Open workout, we're going to pepper-in some partner and team WODs throughout the weekdays to keep that fun element in play.
On that note, here we go...
WOD For 02-27-18:
With a Partner Against an 18-Minute Clock:
BUY-IN:
1000m Run TOGETHER
1000m Row SPLIT
... Then, in the remaining time AMRAP (only one person working at a time)...
30 Deadlifts @ 225/155 lbs
90 Double Unders
*Both teammates must complete a 1000m run and the first athlete in the door may start the row immediately (share the same rower). The AMRAP of deadlifts and double unders is shared, with only one athlete working at a time -- reps do NOT have to be split evenly.
-then-
Tabata:
Side Planks (alternate sides each interval for 4 intervals each side)
18.1 Scores Due By 5pm Monday
Reminder to SUBMIT YOUR 18.1 score to the CrossFit Games website by Monday at 5pm. We cannot submit your score for you so if you're reading this just do it now so you don't forget!
Just a small portion of our Open 18.1 athletes from Saturday!
After getting pretty aerobic on Saturday for 18.1 how about a little back squat strength work (building on last Monday's session) and a quick & dirty sprint met-con to start the week?
WOD For 02-26-18:
Back Squat:
15 Minutes To Establish a Heavy Set of Eight, then...
Two Drop Sets:
1x8 @ 85% of your top set
1x8 @ 80% of your top set
-then-
For Time:
21-15-9
Overhead Squats @ 115/75 lbs (no rack)
Lateral Bar Burpees
(Compare to 05-16-13)
Open 18.1 Thoughts & Strategy
Open Athletes - if you haven't already, please watch the 18.1 standards video below, and read the workout details here on the CrossFit Games website. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page with movement standards and expectations (both Rx and scaled) prior to every athlete and judge starting their workout/heat.
You'll also need to enter your score on the CrossFit Games website before the submission deadline at 5pm on Monday. You can still register for the Open up until the 18.1 submission deadline, so if you do the workout this weekend and decide to enter afterwards make sure to have someone judge you so you have an official score.
As we've covered previously in this post here, we'll be running the Open Workout ("18.1") during rolling heats in all of our Saturday morning classes. 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).
For those new to Arena Ready please note that these Saturday morning classes will be very different from our usual protocol. The warm-up will be self-directed and written on the board in AR North for you to follow. 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. Among other things, you're going to want to get your shoulders & lats nice and warm, your dumbbell mechanics dialed-in, and your hamstrings primed (i.e. mobilized) to make it easier to get your feet to the bar.
18.1 is a great 20-minute AMRAP triplet designed to keep just about everyone moving for the entirety of the workout, both in the Rx and scaled versions (relatively small rep sets for each movement, relatively light loading, and not terribly complex in skill requirements). Strategy is not all that complicated -- you mostly need to know your strengths and weaknesses among the three movements, keep the transitions between movements disciplined and quick, and pick a rep scheme and row pacing that suits your capacity.
Toes-to-Bar
Are you a toes-to-bar ninja and have lots of capacity with the movement? Then go unbroken from the start to limit accumulating rest periods (very costly for higher level competitors), and try to hang on (pun intended) to an unbroken scheme for as long as possible. If you feel the grip starting to strain at some point then one break in the set is the way to go (think 5-3 or 4-4), keeping your rest periods "strict" (e.g. count to three and jump back up immediately).
Are you decent at toes-to-bar but don't consider the movement a strength of yours? Then break up the sets of 8 from the start with a rep scheme appropriate for your capacity (5-3 or 4-4 if you're pretty darn good, 3-3-2 if you know you're going to fade a little, or 2-2-2-2 if you know you need to be methodical about it from the beginning). The breaking of the set will feel silly in the first round but trust the strategy -- it will pay dividends in the second half of the workout. Don't forget that the toes-to-bar will be the "grippiest" part of this grippy workout for most people, so quick breaks here are much smarter than breaking on the dumbbell.
Those of you who need to do the toes-to-bar in singles already know who you are. Don't be shy about it, just keep chipping away with those singles and stay focused (it's a 20 minute workout so you're going to rack up a bunch of rounds when it's all over... don't get discouraged early!). If you can do even 1 rep of toes-to-bar safely we recommend you spend as much time as you need to getting that 1 rep, or first several, at Rx -- and if at some point it's clear that no additional reps are going to happen (or that you've had enough valiant attempts at that first one to no avail) you can continue on with the scaled movement (hanging knee raise above hips) to continue progressing through the workout. Your Rx score would, of course, simply be recorded as the rep count at the point that you stopped doing full toes-to-bar -- but remember that just 1 rep at Rx beats even the highest scaled score in the world... so stick with it for as long as you're able!
Single Dumbbell Hang Clean & Jerk
First off, make sure you STAND THE DUMBBELL UP TO FULL EXTENSION with a quick pause at the top (i.e. standing to your full height) before you initiate the first hang clean -- otherwise that first clean is technically not from the hang. This movement will take a little practice simply to develop a bit of familiarity, so get in early and use a lighter dumbbell to dial-in the pattern and feel of the movement.
Don't think of this as a "clean" per se -- you should be doing the "clean" portion much like you would a (one-arm) kettlebell swing at the bottom... that is, DB between your legs & reaching behind you (chest comes forward), hinging at the hip to load the hamstrings, and driving the DB initially with the hips & legs as much as possible. Then it resembles a "hammer curl" to the shoulder -- but remember that most of the work must be done with the legs & hips, and not from the arm curl, otherwise your biceps are going to get smoked really quickly.
To get the dumbbell overhead you can technically use any shoulder-to-overhead movement you like (honestly, I'm not sure why the terminology they used is "jerk"), but the choice is pretty simple. If the weight is light to moderate for you, and you have good mobility and stability overhead, then use a push press. If it's a little heavy for you and/or you're a bit sketchy overhead, then use a re-dip to push jerk the DB overhead -- and make sure to stand up all the way with full lockout to complete the rep. Either way this requires a shoulder-width stance for most people, which means you should do the "clean" with more of a squat stance to make the transition overhead more efficient (i.e. no need to move your feet at all during consecutive reps).
Unless this weight is heavy for you, or mobility and/or fatigue is causing a potential movement safety issue, then try to do as many of these DB reps unbroken as possible. The "cost" on the grip is not as great here as it is on the toes-to-bar -- plus breaking the reps on the DB means you're going to have to put it all the way back down and pick it all the way back up again (causing lots of rest periods that you probably don't actually need if this weight is light for you). You're essentially creating an eccentric lowering and then a deadlift every time you set the DB down. If you do need a break and/or you're not comfortable with a mid-air switch of hands, then the place to get your quick break is to place the DB back on the ground when switching from one side to the other after 5 reps.
If you know you're going to need breaks to safely move through the workout, then remember the same idea we mention above for toes-to-bar -- this AMRAP is 20 minutes long and you're going to rack up some rounds no matter what. So keep chipping away patiently, be smart, move well, and do what you gotta do!
Row (Yay!)
For many of us we'll spend half of this workout on the rower, give or take. Which means that knowing your max sustainable rowing pace is key if you're going to get a good score relative to your individual capability (being fit and having a terrible strategy on pacing can render you a score much lower than you deserve). If you watched Sam Briggs and Kristen Holte do 18.1 at the big announcement you saw Holte go out hot because she knew she couldn't hang with Briggs on the rower -- so she essentially tried to get ahead and then hold on as best she could. Since both athletes are incredibly fit & strong the toes-to-bar and DB movements would basically be unbroken for both of them the entire way -- leaving no option to gain ground other than in transitions and on the rower. In the end the better, more efficient rower (Briggs) caught up and eventually passed the early leader by holding basically the same pace from first round until final round. And not because she was a bigger or stronger athlete on the rower -- she simply rowed better, with better technique (thus less suffering) and better pacing.
Now most of us are not competing at a Regional/Masters Qualifier/Games level, so while the Briggs-Holte example is not exactly analogous to us the main idea remains the same -- your row pace and ability to hold that pace (or even increase it in the last quarter of the workout) will have a big impact on your score, almost regardless of your capability on the other two movements.
So what pace do you use? Well hopefully you've paid attention to the Cal/Hour number on the monitor during any one of the hundreds of row for calories workouts you've done at Arena Ready. That's the BIG number in the middle of the screen -- you know, the one that's constantly changing, and often going down as you get more tired. Here's a nice chart that gives you the pacing lowdown:
I'll make it easy for you since we coaches basically know everyone's relative capacity on the rower (and on the other two movements). Highly competitive "Black level" AR athletes will be gunning for 10 total rounds or more. The "Red level" may generally be in the 7 to 8 round range, give or take one or two. The "Gray level" may likely be in that 5 to 7 round range, give or take, with Rx or Scaled dependent on the individual's proficiency with toes-to-bar. The "White level" athletes will likely span the range of 5 to 8 rounds if doing Scaled, with the exception of those who are determined to fight (safely) for an Rx score.
So take that approximate number of rounds and pretend we are doing a WOD at Arena Ready where you have to row 14/12 calories within a minute, and for that many rounds. Based on the table above, and knowing you'll have two other movements in the WOD (like we usually do in those types of workouts at our gym), what pace can you hold? How much time within this theoretical minute would you have as "rest" after finishing the 14/12 calorie row? That period could become your transition time back to toes-to-bar (or even starting the toes-to-bar for the fast people). We've done literally dozens of workouts like that -- maybe not for 8 or 10 rounds, but certainly for 5 or 6. That should give you a good idea of where to start when game planning for your pace.
And to answer the two common questions:
Yes, if you know how to sprint start on the rower I think you should do it (if you don't know what that is or how to do it then now is not the time to start by trying it for the first time in 18.1).
You should use the same setting on the flywheel that you always use when we row for calories. If you have no idea what that is then put it on 5.
The Universal MUSTS for EVERYONE Doing the Workout
1) Don't drop the dumbbell. Just don't do it. You could break your foot or toe, and you could break the dumbbell. And it just really makes things harder anyway -- if you're dropping the DB and then chasing it around you not only look like a tool, but it also means you're going far past your own ability to hold any kind of sustainable pace.
2) If even just ONE rep (or several) can be performed safely at Rx then you have the option of spending as much time as needed (up to 20 minutes!) getting as far along in the Rx workout sequence as you can with good mechanics and movement (e.g. you're being safe & smart while trying really, really, really hard). Remember that even an Rx score of 1 rep ranks higher than every scaled score in the world, so if you can safely fight for that one good rep it may be a battle worth fighting. If you're not officially entered in the Open then ask a coach on site to help you decide on a reasonable dumbbell weight for scaling the workout appropriately -- it doesn't necessarily need to be one of the exact weights listed by CrossFit HQ for the Open.
3) Be smart and move well. You know what that means, I don't have to explain that one to you. The weights will be here tomorrow... will you be?
4) Cheer for your fellow athletes, and be a good judge. We do things the right way at Arena Ready -- with integrity and to the standards of the competition. Our movement is clean, our technique is admirable, our effort is 100%, and our members know the difference between intent and accomplishment (e.g. giving your fellow athlete a respectful but deserved no-rep when they're working their ass off but simply didn't accomplish a valid rep). The spirit of the Open is amazing - there's nothing like the energy and positive family vibe of these 5 weeks. Many of your buddies will do things they never thought possible, some will fall short of what they wanted and be frustrated for a bit, and others will have experiences on both sides. But in the end this is our community, and our AR family, and we support each other in success and in failure... knowing that we're all just trying to get better every day.
GO TIME!
WOD For 02-24-18:
"Open 18.1"
AMRAP 20 Minutes:
8 Toes-to-Bar
10 Single Dumbbell Hang Clean & Jerk @ 50/35 lbs (5 Right THEN 5 Left, or vice versa)
14/12 Calorie Row
*The 18.1 Scaled Workout follows the same sequence but uses hanging knee raises in place of toes-to-bar and 35/20 pound dumbbells.
Why I Love the Open
When I started CrossFit back in 2010 it wasn't about competing at all (and the Open didn't even exist yet). I had recently retired from my career as a hammer thrower, had spent a year getting skinny fat by eating crap and running long distances (which I got better at, but didn't enjoy much), and I basically realized that if I didn't start doing something a little more functional I was going to lose capacity to do even regular things pretty quickly.
In the years since, CrossFit has formed the basis for a wide variety of opportunities in my life, many of which we've been able to live together through the formation of Arena Ready. I've certainly spent an awful lot of energy training and competing, and to those who may not know me as well it might seem that's what it's been about at the core, but especially this year I've had the opportunity to reflect, and I can honestly say that while I do enjoy competing, and striving to make the next level, that's not really what it's been about in prior years, nor will it be my focus this year.
I do the Open to see what I'm capable of, to test my weaknesses, and to enjoy my strengths. I enjoy laying it all out there to see where I fall short (or even literally faceplant if we're talking HSPUs). I enjoy the motivation that I feel for months or even years after a good competition - I still remember finding a second wind to run faster when Brittany Williamson was about to pass me on the final lap of a workout at Femme Fit back in 2010, and I draw on that second wind frequently when I think I "can't go any faster". My interest in getting better at the things I'm not very good at, or to endure things I don't like very much, benefits me in all areas of my life, not just in the gym, and I enjoy developing self-awareness of how much I care about achieving my goals, getting better at being me, and generally persevering even when things don't come easily. Years and years later, I still find this fun.
I also do the Open because I really think it's fun to hang out at the gym with my friends. I enjoy cheering for everyone, and hoping that they are able to perform in line with their expectations. I like strategizing pacing, and it's funny when people accidentally go out too fast and have to live with that for more minutes than they'd like. I LOVE watching people get firsts in the Open because it provides that tiny extra push that enables them to want success more than they fear failure. It's really cool to reflect on everyone's time lapses - to see how far they've come while also appreciating the opportunity they have to continue growing, if they so choose. It's just sort of a magical time of year.
Finally, one year I didn't really do the Open. I entered, but I had decided I wasn't doing it to be my best self, I wasn't trying to see what I could accomplish, and mostly because my heart was a little broken from falling a single point short of qualifying for the Games in the year prior I didn't really want to put myself out there again. That year I learned that it never was actually about the end result. It's about the journey, and it's a journey that I love, [almost] entirely independent of where I fall on the leaderboard. Putting myself out there is fun.
This CrossFit season has obviously been a means to keep my body healthy as I work on an entirely different mission. I've been torn about competing in the Open because there are a lot of things I can't (or shouldn't) do. I'm a little self-conscious about actually recording on the internet how different my best is right now (given the constraints of being 36 weeks pregnant) and putting legitimate, "where I'm at today" scores on the internet for people to see, only to feel like I "should" be capable of more. But you know what? That's no different from anyone else, ever, in the history of the Open (and I've done it every year, so I know). Just like everyone else, I need to be mindful of my body, my current training volume and capacity, and the appropriate level of intensity for me where I'm at right now. I have the opportunity to compete alongside my friends, to record this benchmarked moment in time, and to become a little more self-aware. Sure, I probably won't be able to do even a whole workout as prescribed, I may not be able to get even a single rep of one of the scaled workouts, and I'm likely to have to skip a workout or two at the end, but between now and then, I get to be out there doing something I actually love alongside my AR family.
The Open is pretty cool.
The first workout of the 2018 CrossFit Games Worldwide Open ("18.1") was released on Thursday evening, so 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 (which covers only the Rx workout, and not the scaled version) - thanks!
It's not too late to register for the 2018 Open! Join in on the fun and register here on the CrossFit Games website (make sure to select Arena Ready as BOTH your affiliate and your team). You'll be able to register up until the online score submission deadline for 18.1 on Monday at 5pm (i.e. you can come in and do the workout this weekend and then register & enter your score afterward, as long as that's before Monday at 5pm).
WOD For 02-23-18:
Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Squat:
5-5-5-5-5 (per side)
-then-
4 Rounds For Time:
200m Run with Medicine Ball @ 20/14 lbs
20 Medicine Ball Walking Lunges @ 20/14 lbs
20 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
20 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
You may support/hold the medicine ball in any fashion during the run and lunges, except on top of your head or by holding the laces/tabs.
Happy Open Eve!
Any guesses on what Thursday evening's 5pm announcement of Open workout 18.1 will be?! Come to the gym and watch the live announcement with us -- some of our AR athletes will even be doing (and/or test driving) the workout at 7pm that evening.
It's not too late to register for the 2018 Open! Join in on the fun and register here on the CrossFit Games website (make sure to select Arena Ready as BOTH your affiliate and your team). This Saturday will be the first of five "AR Open Saturdays" at the gym (click here for details), and you'll be able to register up until the online score submission deadline for 18.1 on Monday at 5pm.
Still on the fence? Read this and then just do it already.
The preview frame below of 16.5 at Arena Ready reminds me to to give a BIG SHOUT OUT to Coach Walker for passing his CrossFit Level 2 Trainer Exam after taking the course last weekend. I would be remiss if I didn't also give props to our newest Level 1 Trainers who have been shadowing/co-coaching/assisting for some time and are now also leading a few classes (with great feedback from our members to boot!): nice work Brooklyn Mike, Flying Squirrel, and LGB!!! It's been fun having them -- as well as Lisa Mini Rex, Mighty Mini Kim, James, Catherine, and Nevada -- in the coaching fold as we approach the 2018 Open and what appears to be an exciting year ahead at AR!
How about a little complimentary prehab strength work and a shakeout gasser to get us primed for 18.1?
WOD For 02-22-18:
Bent-Over Barbell Row:
6-6-6-6-6
Climbing for QUALITY
-then-
For Time:
600m Run
600m Row
25 Russian Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53
400m Run
400m Row
20 Russian Kettlebell Swings
200m Run
200m Row
15 Russian Kettlebell Swings