Our Blog
THE CROSSFIT OPEN
WHAT AM I LETTING MYSELF IN FOR?
Our Blog
WHAT AM I LETTING MYSELF IN FOR?
The Open is the start to every athlete’s CrossFit season. With the changes we saw to last years 2021 Open, CrossFit and Eric Roza have somewhat reverted back to the more entertaining structure we used to see. In 2021, we saw the reduction in Open workouts from 5 to 3. With addition of qualifying phases: Quarter finals, semi finals, last chance qualifiers and the CrossFit Games. Each phase culling more and more athletes.
The Open consists of unknown workouts each year, with a previous workout making a reappearance at some stage. We can make some pretty good predictions of what types of workouts and exercises are going to feature, which helps coaches program for athletes allowing some form of preparation. At this point, the work that coach & athlete have done through Off-Season has been put in (developing strength and aerobic capacity). Now to prepare for the open the focus needs to shift and learn to become at one with mixed modal workouts layering on top of those strength and aerobic foundations.
Whilst there is certainly some guess work in what will appear in the Open, we now have 10 years of data to allow us to predict what types of workouts will appear:
Although these are some ideas of movements that may appear in this year’s Open, our man Dave Castro loves to throw a spanner in the works with the introduction of a new movement e.g. 2021’s Wall Walks. Following an individualised program that is focused on developing you as an athlete is important. Having the coach-athlete relationship to develop your mindset tools to help you get on top of those pre-open anxieties and creating a nutrition strategy to allow your body to have the foundation to perform optimally is key. In an ideal world, this is what would get the best results for every athlete. However, this isn’t always possible for everyone. I have created some Open Fundamentals that will apply to every athlete looking to participate in CrossFit Open 2022.
Couplets & Triplets
Every year we need to be ready for the majority of the Open workouts to contain two to three high volume, low-moderate skill movements. These workouts are where the Elite level competitors show their worth with unbelievable scores and the ability to go almost unbroken throughout the whole workout. Couplets & Triplets also produce moderately loaded barbell movements, bodyweight and machine based conditioning pieces. Focusing on transitions between exercises and cycle time of reps will be important when preparing for this style of Open workout. Understanding how to pace and where your Redline is, will come with lots of practice during training sessions.
Chippers
The Open generally uses it’s couplets and triplets to allow for more inclusivity with the skill level and load being lower. The higher skills and weighted movements appear in the “chipper” style format. Elite level athletes have the ability to move efficiently and effectively through a chipper workout and perform high skill and heavy lifting at speed whilst under high stress and metabolic fatigue. They have this ability due to:
Developing the Alactic Energy System is very taxing on the CNS and shows limited improvements. It should be improved on its own in individually targeted training sessions.
The closer the Open gets, the more fatiguing the training sessions should become. This is paramount to readying the athlete for what is to come. During this time, focusing on recovery methods such as sleep, stretching and nutrition, will allow the athlete to reduce chance of injuries or illnesses that could prevent them achieving their targets.
19.1 – Couplet
AMRAP 15”
19 Wall Ball Shots (@9/6kg – 10/9ft Target)
19cal Row
20.2 – Triplet
AMRAP 20”
4 Dumbbell Thrusters (@2×22.5/15kg)
6 Toes to Bar
24 Double Unders
14.4 – Chipper
AMRAP 14”
60cal Row
50 Toes to Bar
40 Wall Ball Shots (@9/6kg – 10/9ft Target)
30 Cleans (@61/43kg)
20 Muscle-Ups
Personally, I have always been a One and Done athlete when it comes to the CrossFit Open and you may be as well. But, I don’t have the ambition of making it to the CrossFit Games as an athlete and that is ok. However, if you want to get to the very top percentile of CrossFit athletes you need to factor in room for repeating the Open workouts at least twice into your program, as having one bad workout could be the difference between qualifying or not.
For athletes repeating their workouts, this can be mentally and physically exhausting but there can be a noticeable improvement in their scores. This can be down to experience and new strategy used in the workout. However small the improvements are, it could make a huge difference in placings due to the amount of competitors that enter the Open.
The Open workouts bring about some physical and mental pain to every athlete. Demanding athletes, Elite or Scaled, to dig deep into their energy systems (anaerobic glycolytic mainly), to gain the ability to cope with large amounts of metabolic stress and find out how strong their mind really is. The great thing is, all these areas can be trained.
This type of training is very stressful on the CNS and can show a reduction in strength and aerobic adaptations. Peaking the AGS correctly allows the athlete to be able to grit through the latter stages of a workout and have the ability to kick on at the end.
When training this system, you want to:
Training sessions should be split between mixed modalities and cyclical pieces. Mixed modal work taxes the CNS harder, while the cyclical work increases cellular and metabolic adaptations.
It is very easy to back off when things hurt and your mind tells you “just an extra 10 seconds rest” or “I will go again when the time gets to X”. Working on strategies to combat this is important in overcoming this. As Dame Kelly Holmes said on The High Performance podcast, “80% of performance is in the mind”. Mapping out how you are going to take on the Open workouts when they are produced, and repeating it in your head, will allow you to succeed no matter what obstacles are thrown your way. Don’t forget about this key ingredient in your training program.Train and develop it just as you would do with your physical attributes.
Although the Open doesn’t involve too many high-skill movements due to the inclusive nature of this stage of qualifying, there will be some to show their ugly faces. So, if your skill level is lacking then it is vital to bring this up to scratch with the level of movements you may be faced with. Whether you think you are a long way off from achieving these movements, a lot of progress can still be made over the up and coming weeks.
Practicing these regularly in a non-fatigued setting is important to gain understanding and focus on the skill. However, when qualifying closes in, these skills need to be worked on in a fatigued environment to gain awareness of what is to come during the workouts.
Whether you are striving for the Games, top 10% to qualify for the Quarter Finals or, wanting to beat your placing and performances from the year before, remember preparation is key. Enjoy the process no matter what level you are at.
If you’re ready to take the next step, or want to chat about some of the programs and options Josh can offer, book a free consultation.