Workout of the Day
Jenny's 19.2 Photos!
How about some back-to-back badass Open photos?! Yesterday we shared the Open 19.1 photos from Jenny and here’s the Open 19.2 gallery from last Saturday at Arena Ready — click here to view.
So many cool shots and amazing performances. Somehow Jenny seems to capture the energy and emotion of these crazy Open weeks year after year. So freaking awesome!
WOD For 03-06-19:
3 Rounds For Time:
27 KB Swings @ 70/53 lbs
21 Hand-Release Push-ups
15 Pistols (alternate)
9 Box Jumps @ 30/24 in
-then-
Weighted Plank Hold:
3 x 0:45 Seconds (Rest 1:15 Between Efforts)
19.1 Photos From Jenny!
As the dust settles following 19.2 feel free to check out the awesome images taken of 19.1 at Arena Ready by none other that Jenny AKA oh happy dawn photography — click here to view the 19.1 gallery.
Thank you as always for your amazing work, Jenny!
WOD For 03-05-19:
Back Squat:
15 Minutes to Build to a Heavy Set of 8, Then…
5 Minutes For 2 “Drop” (or ‘Down”) Sets @ 85% and 80% of Your Heavy Set
If possible add to your top set from last week 02-26-19 and/or the week prior 02-18-19.
-then-
2 Rounds For Time:
12-9-6
Thrusters @ 95/65 lbs
Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
To clarify, this is 12-9-6 of both movements then 12-9-6 of both movements again. Yay!
New Class Enrollment Policy
Open Athletes: REMINDER to submit your Open 19.2 scores to the CrossFit Games website by the 5pm deadline on Monday!
An Important Message From Coach Sarah…
Hi All-
The time has come to try a new class enrollment policy... we seem to have a "the class is full" perception problem at 6am and on Saturdays in particular, which has resulted in lots of early sign ups (just in case you want to go to class) and lots of late cancels and no shows (because you actually didn't), meaning that we're turning away awesome potential new members, and people aren't getting to work out even though class wasn't actually full, so we're going to try something new.
Effective immediately:
If you have a spot in class you're in (this will be class+waitlist capacity in the old system)
If you are on the waitlist, we know you want to come, but you're NOT in until you get email confirmation you're in (the waitlist will now be unlimited so we'll be able to tell when, if ever, people who wanted to come to class didn't get in)
If you cancel after 9pm for a weekday morning or Saturday class, or within 2 hours of a daytime class you are "late canceling" and being inconsiderate to your friends (although we totally understand that happens sometimes, and we forgive you... if it happens sometimes).
Since day one, we (ok I) have had a strong aversion to charging any sort of late cancel or no-show penalties because we trust that our members want to be considerate to each other, and understand that by taking a spot and no-showing or late canceling they may be taking a spot someone else could have used. I still have faith in you... please prove me right!
For reference - 6am class + waitlist is typically full all week until after 9pm the night before, and average 6am attendance has actually been 10-11 despite 15 capacity for the past month. Feels to us like much more of a perception problem than an actual capacity problem, so we want to do our best to fix it!
Thank you for your assistance. Keep on crushing it!
WOD For 03-04-19:
With a Partner On a Running Clock…
A) At 0:00
For Time:
50 Calorie Row
40 Dumbbell Snatches @ 50/35 lbs (alternate sides)
30 Burpee Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 (MUST face the box)
40 Calorie Row
30 Dumbbell Snatches @ 50/35 lbs (alternate sides)
20 Burpee Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 (MUST face the box)
30 Calorie Row
20 Dumbbell Snatches @ 50/35 lbs (alternate sides)
10 Burpee Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 (MUST face the box)
*One athlete working at a time, switch whenever you like
B) At 20:00
Push Press:
Both Partners Build to a Heavy Set of 3
*Use the same barbell/rack and load/un-load the weights as needed to alternate sets
Open 19.2 Thoughts & Strategy
OK, here we go with week two! This is essentially a repeat of Open 16.2 (shout out to Coach Lisa for guessing it exactly!) with the exception of a modification to the first time cut-off point — I actually think this revised version is slightly better and allows more people to get further into the workout. I (Rob) personally LOVE this workout despite the fact that I’ll likely be done at the 8-minute mark LOL (along with most of the rest of the world).
We’ll give you two different perspectives for approaching 19.2 — first, here’s my (Rob) CliffsNotes version which is mostly geared toward those who will be attempting the Rx version:
1) Break-up the Toes-to-Bar from the start. Kara Webb (now Saunders) won this workout worldwide in 2016 with a dominant performance and she never once did a round of unbroken T2B. If you think you know something that she doesn’t I’m here to tell you to think again.
2) Do the cleans in singles. Kara also did singles from the start on the barbell. See point #1 above for why you should also.
3) If you’re gaming/pacing your workout to finish a certain segment or possibly even get past the 12-minute mark then you MUST TAKE YOUR REST ON THE CLOCK. Another way of saying this is you basically can’t go by “feel” for your rest periods. Calculate exactly what you need to do, when you need to do it, and then count yourself into the next rep or set based on the clock and not your feelings. Your feelings lie to you when you’re tired. They tell you “I’m just going to rest for 3 seconds” but that becomes 10, 12, 15 seconds — and if your plan is realistic (and you’re honest with yourself about your abilities) then you’re probably capable of only needing that 3 seconds (or whatever you deem the rest period to be in your plan)… but you need the clock to tell you when to go again and not your feelings. Feelings are liars when shit starts getting real in competitive exercise.
4) Only wear weightlifting shoes if they don’t affect your Double Unders. I’d say that’s probably the minority of people and not the majority, but they usually know who they are anyway. And while we’re on the topic of gear — yes, sure, wear a belt for the cleans when that bar gets heavy (even if that means it’s the first bar)… but only if you’re used to using one.
Here is Sarah’s advice re-posted from 2016 when this workout was originally released as Open 16.2 (and edited slightly for 19.2 purposes). She posted the 5th highest score in the Region that year, and was just 3 reps shy of running the table on the workout at 20 minutes, so she’s probably a good person to take advice from LOL.
This is another awesome workout - please watch the standards video above and read the workout info here before coming in on Saturday to do the WOD during our Open Saturday Heats. Much like last week it creates a wide variety of opportunities for success, PRs, and fun. As with last week, we'll try to spell out the categories of competitors, and hopefully give you some pointers for how to approach the workout and impress yourself.
For athletes at every level, be conscious of your grip - as we mention in class every time this movement (toes-to-bar) comes up. Accidentally letting go of the bar is no laughing matter. First and foremost, hang on to the bar and be conscious of whether your hands are slipping off. If they even might be, take a break, shake it out, and get back up there when you've recovered.
Category 1: Toes go Where?!?
If you're in this category, you're certain that your toes are not going to make their way to the bar no matter what you do to coerce them. If you're in this category, get yourself a scaled setup, and go for it! Find yourself in the categories below as your abilities relate on the scaled level, and strategize accordingly.
Category 2: Ok, I have t2b but 25 (or 50) in eight minutes?!?
If you're in this category, you're anticipating getting something less than 25 toes to bar in this workout, including perhaps getting your first ever (shout out to those who did just that in 16.2). For this group, get a trusted coach or experienced athlete to hang out with you and offer useful tips for this toes-to-bar AMRAP... and get those toes to touch the bar!
Category 3: Whoa, 50 (or 100) Double Unders?
If you're in this group, be conscious of your pace on the toes-to-bar to ensure that you don't go out so hot that you're unnecessarily taxed for the double unders. Leave yourself as much time to get as many as you can, but within reason to keep your breathing relaxed. Once you get there, stay calm and relaxed, and plan to break the double unders up into manageable sets. If you can consistently do five or ten without missing, that's your number. If you can only do them alternating with singles, that's ok for today. Try not to focus on the accumulated number, or how far you have to go, just get your number, shake it out, and get it again.
Category 4: I made it to the cleans! But crap, they're so heavy!
If you're in this group, welcome to the meat of this workout. The cleans will feel heavy when you get there, so warm up to the bar you expect to hit in the workout, and possibly to the one after. If this is at or around your 1RM, you may need to take a quick break before you pick up the bar to make sure you can hold strong positions and make each attempt count. Pretty much everyone should do singles, unless the weight is light for you and you get to the bar with not enough time to spare. In that case, sprint, do touch-and-go reps if possible, and have faith that if you finish the cleans the toes to bar will feel better than you expect when you get back to them.
Category 5: How many rounds will I get?
In this category - think through the accumulated toes-to-bar reps associated with the round you intend to complete, and break the sets up as though you were doing that total number of reps for time to stave off failure. Heart rate management will become increasingly important as the reps and rounds increase, and strategizing will be necessary to maintain stamina for the toes-to-bar. The cleans will feel heavy, and will spike your heart rate, so singles will likely be a good call unless you're sprinting against the clock to finish the round.
If you're in categories 2-4, you may find yourself wishing for more of a "workout" when your safe, reasonable attempts at getting T2B are behind you. We want you to get a good workout too, so we've created the following suggestion. It may seem confusing, but we assure you, we think it's going to be great. The cap for all modified workouts will also be 8 minutes…
Category 2: When your T2B attempts are no longer reasonable and/or safe and accumulating more reps just isn’t going to happen, bank your official score, and move on to double unders and proceed through the workout as Rx'ed - make it as far as you can within the allotted eight minutes, and if you complete the first set of cleans, scale the t2b when you get back to them, and also follow the scaling instructions for Categories 3 or 4 if needed.
Category 3: When reasonable/safe attempts at double unders are exhausted, bank your official score, move on to cleans and proceed through the workout as Rx'ed. When you complete the cleans go back through the toes to bar, and if/when you complete the second round of t2b choose between 25 attempts or 50 singles with the jumprope. Go to the next bar weight if you can, otherwise, follow instructions for Category 4.
Category 4: In this category, if you're making progress on the cleans but attempts start getting sketchy and coaches deem your technique to be something less than desirable then bank your official score and possibly lower the weight to something reasonable to attempt for the remainder of the 8 minutes.
As with all of our Open Saturdays, please make sure to sign-up for class as you normally would, and then see a coach when you arrive at the gym to get yourself a heat time. The self-guided warm-up will be written out and we'll see you for 19.2!
WOD For 03-02-19:
"Open 19.2"
Beginning on an 8-minute clock, complete as many reps as possible of:
25 Toes-to-Bars
50 Double Unders
15 Squat Cleans @ 135/85 lbs
25 Toes-to-Bars
50 Double Unders
13 Squat Cleans @ 185/115 lbs
If completed before 8 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
25 Toes-to-Bars
50 Double Unders
11 Squat Cleans @ 225/145 lbs
If completed before 12 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
25 Toes-to-Bars
50 Double Unders
9 Squat Cleans @ 275/175 lbs
If completed before 16 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
25 Toes-to-Bars
50 Double Unders
7 Squat Cleans @ 315/205 lbs
Stop at 20 minutes.
Open 19.2 Announced!
Two for two and this is the second week in a row we nearly guessed the Open workout. Coach Lisa actually guessed it exactly (or nearly exactly) by saying she thought it was going to be a a repeat of 16.2!
Well, apart from a slight change to the first “time cap” Open 19.2 is essentially Open 16.2. Here’s a look back (again) at 16.2 at Arena Ready:
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 & here, and watching the standards video below (which covers only the Rx workout, and not the scaled version):
WOD For 03-01-19:
Bent Over Barbell Row:
5-5-5-5-5
For Quality
-then-
For Time OR For Completion:
800m Run
40 Kettlebell Snatches @ 53/35 lbs (20 each side, switch sides every 5 reps)
20 Burpees to Jump Touch (target at least 6 in above max reach)
800m Row or Ski
40 Kettlebell Swings @ 53/35 lbs
20 Burpees Over The Kettlebell (must face the KB i.e. “Open Standard”)
If you’re attempting Open 19.2 on Saturday and simply want to move and breathe then there is an option to do this workout “for completion” (essentially with a moderate pace — and the time cap will allow for it). Otherwise HAVE AT IT and do it for time with more sense of urgency (even if you’re doing Open 19.2 you should be fine).
Open 19.2: Any Guesses?
Open workout 19.2 will be announced to the world on Thursday at 5pm. Any guesses as to what’s coming?
Remember that your first opportunity to do the Open workout (particularly for folks who will be away for the weekend) is Thursday evening during our 6pm “THE OPEN” class. Be sure to sign-up in advance as you would for any other class if you plan on making an attempt at the workout. Those of you who like to geek out on strategy and/or pacing, or just get some extra practice on whatever movement combination is announced, are also welcome to come an “test drive” the Open workout during that class time — with the understanding that your real attempt will be on Saturday morning during our traditional OPEN heats (or Sunday during Open Gym if you simply cannot make it in on Saturday).
Much like we did on Monday with barbell cycling and bodyweight movements/shapes/holds we’ll mix the two domains across an alternating EMOM and a task-priority met-con. Yes, we are slightly betting against a few movements here in 19.2 but even if we’re wrong about that the volume, loading, and intensity is carefully measured (hence the 2 Rounds and not an AMRAP) in such a way that you should be good to go this weekend regardless.
Enjoy!
WOD For 02-28-19:
Alternating EMOM For 5 Rounds (10 Minutes):
MINUTE 1:
3 Power Snatches
MINUTE 2:
30 Second (Hollow Body!) Plank Hold + 10 Shoulder Taps
*Climb as your technique allows on the barbell
*The Shoulder Taps are performed immediately following the Plank Hold without a re-set or “rest” period
-then-
2 Rounds For Time:
20 Handstand Push-ups
20 Power Snatches @ 135/95 lbs
80 Air Squats
Leveling UP The Space
A big thanks to our GM, Dani, and Coach Sarah for overseeing some of the latest improvements in our space — namely a new (and gigantic) AR logo banner, paint trim, re-finished & repainted HSPU wall, accent walls, and playroom paint. Some projects are still in the works, including trim for the HSPU wall a la Connecticut Street OG Arena Ready, and some cool little finishing touches here and there — so thanks for your understanding as we install a few new items and complete some odds & ends.
Finally settling in for real and it feels (and looks) great!
Thanks, Dani & Sarah!
WOD For 02-27-19:
“Team Christine”
With a Partner, 3 Rounds For Time:
1000m Row
24 Deadlifts @ 185/135 lbs
42 Box Jump Overs @ 24/20 in
*Only one athlete working at a time, switch whenever you like.
*Reps do not have to be split equally but, as usual, the fastest strategy is likely equal or roughly equal reps.
Worst Best Picture
OK, as a break from all of the CrossFit Games Open talk…
The Oscars on Sunday night got me thinking (and I didn’t actually watch them, but still) — what was the WORST movie you can remember that won BEST picture?
Here are my top 3 picks (and I realize the second one will make some of you mad, and that Titanic actually won that year… but really it’s same same, no?):
Everyone just calm down. You can submit your hate comments to me in the private Arena Ready Facebook group and I’m happy to address them one at a time.
HOW ABOUT THEM APPLES?!
WOD For 02-26-19:
Back Squat:
15 Minutes to Build to a Heavy Set of 8, Then…
5 Minutes For 2 “Drop” (or ‘Down”) Sets @ 85% and 80% of Your Heavy Set
If possible add to your top set from last week 02-18-19
-then-
For Time:
21-15-9
Overhead Squats @ 115/75 lbs
Lateral Bar Burpees
Open 19.1 Score Submissions Due By 5pm Monday
Reminder to SUBMIT YOUR 19.1 score to the CrossFit Games website by the deadline of 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 19.1 athletes from Saturday!
Hey look, a Monday with no wall balls! But see here’s the thing… pull-ups and double unders are like winter… THEY ARE COMING. They may not be in 19.2 — or they may be — but either way they’re coming in one of the next four Open workouts. And who are we kidding, we do both movements every week at Arena Ready anyway, so this is sort of old hat.
This time around we’ll do chin-over bar to practice that specific movement requirement, even though our default Rx is chest-to-bar — it should make for bigger sets for many of you, but keep the total volume in mind as well when approaching this Monday met-con.
Enjoy!
WOD For 02-25-19:
Alternating EMOM 5 Rounds (10 Minutes):
MINUTE 1:
1 Power Clean + 3 Push Jerks
MINUTE 2:
3 Scap Pull-ups + 1 Max L-Sit
Climb in loading on the barbell every round. The Max L-Sit is one attempt hanging from the pull-up bar and is performed immediately following the scap pull-ups (without dropping off to re-set the grip). Scale the L-Sit to a Chair (or “Tuck”) Sit if you cannot hold the L position for at least 15 seconds.
-then-
For Time:
BUY-IN:
170 Double Unders
THEN, 5 Rounds of…
17 Pull-ups
7 Push Jerks @ 135/95 lbs
Open 19.1 Thoughts & Strategy
Open Athletes - if you haven't already, please watch the 19.1 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. This one is about as simple as it gets , so it should be smooth sailing for us.
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 19.1 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 ("19.1") 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).
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 for you to follow. Please plan on showing up 10 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 & hips nice and warm, your heart rate elevated, and your blood pumping so that you put yourself in a good position to crush this workout.
19.1 is a great 15-minute AMRAP couplet designed to be simple yet potentially brutal for those who can really rack-up the reps. Strategy is not all that complicated — you mostly need to know your goal, the pacing required to get you in the neighborhood of that goal, keep the transitions between movements disciplined and quick, and pick a rep scheme and row pacing that suits your capacity.
AND YES, wear your weightlifting shoes if you have them — they will help for both movements of this workout.
Wall Balls
It should go without saying but moving well will be rewarded and sloppy movement will compound into a nightmare of fatigue here — since the combination of the movements don’t allow same clearance of fatigue as some other "complimentary movement” workouts (think “Diane” or “Fran” where one movement allows a recovery of sorts from the other movement) any deviation from clean, efficient reps will build fatigue in spades as this workout progresses. For most of us, being a little more deliberate pays off more than being a little faster with the reps.
There are 3 categories of athletes for wall balls in this workout:
You will do the wall balls unbroken for the whole workout (or close to it)
You will intentionally break the wall balls 1 time per round (maybe 2 times if needed as fatigue sets in during the later rounds)
You will break the wall balls 3 or more times per round for most of the workout (AKA the wall balls are challenging for you)
If you’re in category 1 then you’re pretty fit (or VERY fit), you’re good at wall balls, and you likely know your abilities well. You’re also going to row fairly “fast” at roughly 80-85% effort from the start. What that means in terms of calories/hour pacing depends on each individual athlete (check the graphic below to help set your expectations and strategy) but the “feeling” of the pace should be approximately your 2K row pacing. Still don’t know what that feels like? It’s a similar exertion level you would use for running a mile for time, give or take.
If you’re in category 2 then the row pacing will need to come down a bit into the 75% effort range (possibly 70% range if you’re “reaching” a little with your wall ball ability). Back off of that 2K pace to start the workout by just a little bit and then try to settle in during rounds 3 and beyond. Remember that rounds 1 and 2 will LIE TO YOU and will let you believe that you can hold an 80-85%+ pace for 15 minutes. I’m here to tell you that I love you, and that you can’t. If you could then you’d be in category #1 instead, and most of us (myself included) are just not at that level at this moment.
If you’re in category 3 then this is a wall ball workout for you, plain and simple. Use the row to try and recover a bit before you get back to the wall balls — meaning don’t “dog” it on the rower but don’t think that pushing the pace fast on the row will help (reserve that for the final 2-ish minutes when you get there). Remember, however, that because we’re using calories here and not meters that if you go too slow it will feel like an eternity before that monitor says 19 — since calories don’t accumulate in a linear fashion the way meters do you want to hold some form of a moderate pace to give yourself “more credit” on the row than just going through the motions would yield. Think measured, smooth, but actively trying — and focus on recovering your breath.
A few other notes on wall balls (although this section sort of turned into a section about rowing LOL):
A good starting place is approximately an arms distance away from the upright. If you stand too close you might get some air balls (which don’t count) or some face smashes. Stand too far back and you’ll get pulled forward on the catch. Focus on getting a nice mini-arc on your toss and letting the target give your ball a little bounce back as it comes down.
If your shoulders generally fatigue during wall balls consider lowering your hands/arms momentarily while the ball is in the air. No need to do the big swimming arms you see some people do, just bring your hands back down in front of your chin quickly to give your shoulders a quick break from tension on each rep. I would also consider using your upper chest and/or chin as a third point of contact in the front rack position if it feels comfortable for you (practice it in warm-ups if you like).
Remember that your judge may also be your friend but he/she does you no favors by “giving” you reps. If they no-rep you because you didn’t get your hips below your knees or the ball didn’t touch the middle of the target then believe them (they’re not workout drunk so their vision is clear and they’re likely right). Correct it quickly and move on, and then thank them afterward for keeping you honest.
Row (Yay!)
For many of us we'll spend more than half of this workout on the rower. 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 at the announcement you saw one of the fittest humans on the planet (and someone who is literally a lightweight record holder in indoor rowing) nearly achieve 10 total rounds. She easily passed both of the athletes next to her who were bigger, taller, and stronger (and plenty fit) not because of her stature or strength advantage — she simply rowed better, with better technique (thus less suffering) and better pacing.
Now most of us are not competing at a Games level, so while the Briggs 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 wall balls.
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 (do those Alternating EMOMs with 21, 20, and 18 calories sound familiar now???). 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:
(Courtesy of our friends at Beyond The Whiteboard)
I'll make it easy for you since we coaches basically know everyone's relative capacity on the rower (and on the wall balls). Highly competitive "Black level" AR athletes will be gunning for 7-8 total rounds or more. The "Red level" may generally be in the 6 to 7+ round range, give or take. The "Gray level" may likely be in that 4 to 5 round range, give or take, dependent on the individual's proficiency with wall balls should they choose to do 19.1 Rx using a 20/14 lbs ball (yes, you should). The "White level" athletes will likely span the range of 3 to 6 rounds if doing Scaled using a 14/10 lbs ball, with the exception of those who are determined to fight (safely) for an Rx score. These of course are rough approximations to help with the setting of realistic expectations and a strategy in line with those expectations — but by all means please blow those out of the water if you have it in you and can crush it beyond what’s written above. To that end, here’s a helpful pacing chart from our buddy Jeremy “JJ” Jones:
(Shout out to JJ, former head coach of the NPGL’s San Francisco Fire!!!)
A few notes on rowing:
Use the fan/flywheel setting you normally use and don’t overthink it too much. I don’t encourage changes to your routine on game day so unless you’re a tiny person who has been setting the fan to 10 I won’t be saying too much. But remember that the 2K world record was performed using a fan setting of 2, and for about 90% of my workouts I use 3 — so for those of you wondering if jamming it up to 9 or 10 all the time (like you see some people often doing) is helpful I’m here to tell you that often it is not.
Don’t mess with the straps. Set the strap at a tension where you can slide your feet in and out quickly during the transitions but that you don’t need to loosen them or tighten them with your hands ever — set them once before the workout starts and then leave them alone. They won’t be completely snug but if you row halfway decent it won’t really matter, and the transition time saved by not fussing with the straps and un-intentionally giving yourself 5, 10, 15 seconds of rest every single round will pay off over multiple rounds (do the math and you can see how you would easily lose a whole minute playing patty cake with the straps every round)
JUST GET IT MOVING. You will be temped to do a lot of things other than getting the rower moving but you’re just wasting transition time that could be spent getting the fan/flywheel moving. You can breathe while starting, you can recover by starting slower for a bit, but get moving and start ASAP. Moving slowly is always better than nothing, especially when that nothing is the excuse of “well, I had to adjust the straps and they were being fussy” (see bullet point above)
Yes, your judge can and should re-set the monitor for you every round. Remind them nicely.
The Universal MUSTS for EVERYONE Doing the Workout
1) 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 15 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 scaling for the workout — it doesn't necessarily need to be one of the exact weights listed by CrossFit HQ for the Open.
2) Be smart and move well. You know what that means, I don't have to explain that one to you. The gym will be here tomorrow... will you be?
3) 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 02-23-19:
“Open 19.1”
AMRAP 15 Minutes:
19 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
19 Calorie Row
*Scaled workout uses 14/10 lbs to 10/9 ft
Open 19.1 Announced!
I literally laughed out loud when this workout was announced.
If you’ve been at Arena Ready for more than a year or two (which is nearly all of you reading this) you’ve probably done at least twenty workouts that look closely related to this gem…
The first workout of the 2019 CrossFit Games Worldwide Open ("19.1") 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 2019 Open! Join in on the fun and register here on the CrossFit Games website (make sure to select Arena Ready as your affiliate). You'll be able to register up until the online score submission deadline for 19.1 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… just make sure your performance is judged!).
On the fence? Read this and this and this. And then just do it already. Particularly if you’re planning on working out during any of the next 5 Saturdays anyway. Duh.
The beauty of the simplicity and brutal elegance of 19.1 is that it leaves us with some interesting complimentary movements that can be programmed the day before without too much interference with the movement patterns you’ll be crushing on Saturday. Either way, you can choose to go HAM on Friday (particularly if you’re not entered in the Open) or take more of a methodical approach to the met-con — but either way you’ll get a good, well rounded workout and a deft dose of intensity if you so choose.
WOD For 02-22-19:
Weighted Strict Pull-up:
3-2-1-1-1
-then-
3 Rounds For Time:
20 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
15 Hang Power Cleans @ 155/110 lbs
10 Toes-to-Bar
Coach Sarah: Why I'm Doing the 2019 Open
This year I’m doing the Open mostly because I really believe what we say each year: that the Open is a chance to benchmark our fitness in the context of our lives, and to reflect on our current level of fitness, and how we feel about our #gainz or lack thereof.
On the eve of Open 2019, I’m conscious of the monumental contrast between last year, Open 2018, when I was weeks away from delivering our brand new baby girl, and the year before, Open 2017, where I managed to earn the last spot to the California Regional (my sixth trip) and ended up finishing 13th despite there not being a barbell in sight. This year, I expect to finish somewhere in between after a year of reprioritizing nearly everything about my life - relocating and developing Arena Ready 3.0, finishing a Masters’ Degree in Nutrition & Human Performance, changing positions at Territory, and most importantly learning how to be a mom.
If I’m being honest, there is also a part of me that does not want to do the Open at all. This is the part of me that deeply misses the capacity I once had, the dreams I had of making the Games or the Olympics, the intensity of those competitive moments. Knowing there’s no possible way for any of that to be in the cards this year stings a little (especially because my original grand plan was to be back in the running for a spot in the Masters Games at this point). But, the reality is that this year I needed to create space to nurture our kid and our business with the same dedication I once gave to sports.
So, this year, I’m doing the Open to go back to the simple joy of having fun with my AR fam. I hope to exercise semi-competitively, to pace myself appropriately, to push myself a little harder than I normally do, and to see whether in any small way, I’ve still “got it”. I hope to find out whether I still have a muscle up, and I wouldn’t mind trying to set a current era PR or two. I plan to join in a little friendly banter, try not to get double lapped by Cassie, and to shoot a text or two about how many water breaks I took across the country to A. Woods. And when I put it that way, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
WOD For 02-21-19:
2 Rounds For QUALITY:
400m Run
40 ft Handstand Walk
8 KB or DB Turkish Get-ups @ pick load (4 Right / 4 Left)
*This is FOR QUALITY and not for speed or loading -- much like yesterday's Part 1, move with intent and focus on position.
-then-
EMOM 12 Minutes:
MINUTE 1-4: 3 Power Snatches
MINUTE 5-8: 2 Power Snatches
MINUTE 9-12: 1 Power Snatch
*Climbing is allowed (but not required), however the goal is technical consistency with NO MISSES.
*Miss during any of the first 3 singles (Minutes 9, 10, 11) and you're DONE!