190307 - Soapbox Thursday
The Curse of the Open - Michael Reynolds
The Open is a reality check for the vast majority of CrossFitters.
We program constantly varied, functional movement at high intensity. We program skills, drills and perform strength cycles. Every year we improve and every year the Open points out some glaring hole in our game. That’s the curse.
When we see those top-level CrossFit athletes crushing the workout, we don’t see the preparation that goes into it. These professional athletes put serious hours in: 3-6 sometimes 8 hours per day of training. They eat well. Lots of them are sponsored by meal prep and supplement companies. Heck, Matt Frasier’s wife just makes food for him. All. The. Time. They put in huge amounts of effort the other 47 weeks out of the year in order to peak for the Open.
A lot of us don’t have the time or ability to make that kind of sacrifice.
What we can do is work hard on our weaknesses when they’re shown to us, and practice, practice, practice. It’s a weird expectation to do well in something we don’t practice. I think sometimes it’s because we’re halfway decent at something slightly tangential.
“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.”
Your goal here should be to do your best. Not just say it, but actually do your best. The best you can with all your other life challenges getting in the way. Train toward a goal or goals.
Your other goals should align with what you want to do outside the gym: be fitter for your family, for hiking, biking, swimming and running. To stave off decrepitude, and aging.
With a plan and goals, you’ll get fitter, take better care of yourself (hello Whole Life Challenge success stories!) and do incrementally better each year in the Open. And that all you can ask of yourself and that’s all we ask!
WARM-UP -
Agility Ladder Drills
Two Feet in each (run)
One Foot in each (run)
Bunny Hop
Single Foot Hop (right)
Single Foot Hop (Left)
Side Shuffle (right)
Side Shuffle (left)
Icky Shuffle
Plank Side Walk (Hands in boxes)
Plate Bridge Game! - Get from one side of the gym to the other using only two plates (15/10) and you can’t stand on anything BUT the plates!
SKILL - Double Under Practice!
Penguin Hops
3 Max Attempts
WOD - AMRAP 5:
20 Ab Mat Sit Ups
40 Double Unders
Rest 2:
AMRAP 5:
20 V-Ups
40 Double Unders
COOL DOWN - Lots of mobilizing!!!! (See videos below)
Banded Leg Stretches
Wall Shoulder Mobilization
Hanging Partner Thoracic/Shoulder Stretch