10 Rounds for time of:
5 Burpee box jumps, 30″(24″)
10 Pull-ups
Post results to comments or BTWB
THE OPEN IS OVER…. NOW WHAT?
The CF Open is over!! What do we do with all of these feelings and feedback that we have gotten over the past 5 weeks? What do I do to start preparing for the next year? The following article mentions some fun goals you can set for this upcoming year. You can see the full article here
And we did it. We made it. 5 unknown and unknowable workouts completed. Maybe you were a “1 and done” type or maybe you did something you wouldn’t do any other time throughout the year and repeated a training session twice in less than 120 hours, regardless, you’ve set the bar for yourself. Arguably most importantly, you’ve identified some glaring weaknesses in your game. Who cares if you can Snatch 120 kilos if 75 pounds feels like 90% of that within 4 minutes after adding in a gymnastic obstacle? Did you really not expect to see chest to bar pull ups again? And now we have crazy stuff like unilateral movements and handstand pushups to really help us see the chinks in the armor that we thought we were polishing out with all that “competitor prep” training. There are so many data points that can be collected on any single Athlete. Your “individualized program” should be all set up to ensure your trip to Regionals next year (or maybe we’ll just hold off until you’re in the Masters category in a few years). But that’s not what this article is really about.
Like clockwork, over the last 6 years, everyone has that “closing time” feeling of not quite knowing where to go. You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here. If you’re like me, the absolute last thing you want is to start doing more “bar facing burpee’s” in prep of an unknown task that’ll come in another 50 weeks. So here are some options:
Start with taking an honest look at your performance over the last few weeks. Was a 225/155 lb Deadlift “heavy” for you? Was that second round of Squat Cleans really that bad? Did you lack the thoracic mobility to get your toes to the bar? Seriously, Bar Muscle ups? Use those “data points” to drive your offseason activities. Let the feeling of standing around fighting for a movement that is within your capacity drive you to conquer it on the next go round. Your next 100 training sessions can’t be purely made of your weaknesses, but spending just 5-10 minutes a day on them will yield success. Heck, if you were told you to do 7 minutes of burpees for an Open workout, you might do it 2-3 times in a week. Harness that drive into some discipline that will have carry over into your overall well being and growth as an athlete.
Pick a target event. Sign up for a Team Competition in 2-3 months. Having a battle buddy (not a drinking buddy) for the accountability factor can do wonders for your likelihood of completion. This will also get you more comfortable with the “competition stimulus” and how to handle the anxiety that comes with being judged. Be advised that not all events are ran smartly. The goal is fun and a new challenge, not to see if you can do so much to not walk for the next week. Pick one that has a good reputation for programming as opposed to which one will break you off the worst. A cool venue is always a plus. Somehow doing thrusters on top of a baseball stadium dugout, or pull ups in a harbor makes the experience that much cooler. At the end of the day, the reminder that you’re a small fish in a big pond is always enough to get you back in the gym to keep working hard.
Do a Strongman event. Lift, carry, throw with all your might heavy objects in races that will force you to adapt. Your chances of becoming Eddie “The Beast” Hall are slim. You’ll more than likely find a new appreciation for moving some serious weight and in the process find new ways to tax your midline. You think toes to bar get your core? Try carrying a 500+ lb Yoke. Play around with odd objects that purposely put you out of the best positions. This community and the CrossFit clan are dangerously closely related in that everyone wants to see you succeed and at the end of the day, it’s all about work capacity. Take some time to learn from some of these big fellas and ladies.
Run a 5k. Sounds like a regularly programmed CrossFit workout that everyone skips because it’s “too simple” and not sexy. This is a great opportunity to get out and experience another community and possibly contribute to a worthy cause. Chances are after all of the conditioning you’ve been doing, you’re going to crush it. Remember, we want to be faster than the lifters and stronger than the runners. Don’t get lost down the rabbit hole!
Sign up for an Obstacle Course Race. Climb ropes? Check. Scale walls? Check. Run while carrying things? Check. Get electrocuted? ummm…. There are a ton now all over the country. Pick a local one, or plan a road trip, but keep the goal in mind. Chances are if you’ve been CrossFitting for a bit you’re physically prepared for any OCR. What good are all those pretty muscle ups if all you can’t get over a wall with some mud on you? Do something that scares you!
