Hello My Friends,
Welcome to Open Season. With each workout of the 2022 CrossFit Open, I will be giving a breakdown of the workout, the necessary warmup, and the performance keys that will keep you safe and maximize your performance. Enjoy
Breakdown
This is a beautiful combination of movements that will work the entire system but in a way that allows you to keep going. These are sometimes the worst workouts because each movement provides a little rest from the others. Therefore, your heart rate is the thing that will eventually slow you down.
With the wall walks its all about overhead position. If you have it, have fun. If you don’t, make sure to pay attention to the warmup portion and work the strategies now and everyday you come into the gym until your overhead position is great.
The snatches are all about finding the posterior chain (hamstrings and glutes) and saving the anterior chain (quads) for later. You will also want to minimize how much you need your arms to press out the dumbbell. The more hip you use in this portion, the more arm you will have for the wall walks.
The box jump is all about staying as low as you can safely go. While the workout does protect the Achilles and plantar fascia, it gives no love to the patellar tendons or meniscus of the knees. Much like the wall walk, if you have the range of motion, use it. But, remember not to crash into your knees and create inflammation or damage. You should feel comfortable with a safe rhythm.
Warmup
Wall Walks will need to start with the thoracic spine. You will need to get your foam roller and work extending over it along with a butterfly arm motion to free up the shoulder blades (scapula). Once you have done this you can use the foam roller to mash your lats, posterior shoulder, and triceps. Following mashing with stretching. Loosening these muscles will free up more range of motion for a better overhead position. If your elbow won’t lock out then add in some bicep mash and stretch.
The DB Snatch will rely on great posterior chain length, tensioning, and force production. Mashing and stretching the glutes and hamstrings will allow for a better Romanian Deadlift position. In the end, the flatter you can keep your back in the bottom of the movement, the more you can use your hips.
The knees, ankles, and feet are the main concern for the box jump. Spend plenty of time mashing out these areas with the foam roller or mobility ball so that you can stretch these tissues for the most beneficial range of motion. The more range you have in these muscles, the lower and safer you will be in your transition over the box.
Stay smooth with the wall walk. Find your rhythm and gage your excursion. Taking an extra 3 seconds of rest so that you don’t miss a rep will save you 30 seconds or more from a failure. Don’t floor it in this movement unless you are supremely confident.
Floor it in the DB Snatch as much as you safely can. This is the quick cycle portion of the workout. But also remember to control your breathing and relax your arms as you get nearly all of your power from the hips.
Practice, Practice, Practice on the Box Jump Over Step-down. Stay low, find a rhythm and stick will it as long as you can. You may want to work a few different styles so you have something to fall back on if things get tough. Also, try to big quick and springy out of the bottom. You can’t recoil, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a good spring from your muscles.
Overall Approach
It’s much like a 2 mile run. You can’t sprint or you will fail miserably, but you need to have a good pace out of the gate. A good excursion to shoot for is a sustained 80%. If that means little to you, break it into thirds. The first 5 minutes should be relaxing but busy. The second 5 minutes will tell you if your pacing was good. The last 5 minutes will be an intense push to the finish or a hold on for dear life… Best of luck 😉
As always, the Open is about learning and fun. Enjoy the community. Control the Ego. Learn from the experience. And most importantly, let it teach you where you can focus on your progression as a human being and an athlete.
Good Luck and #keepmoving
Dr.J
