Christopher Douglas

If you found yourself wishing the CrossFit® Open was over, mid-workout, you were not alone. It’s challenging. It’s hard. That being said, what truly makes the Open great is the hard stuff. The hard stuff is what we end up learning from. Conversely, the CrossFit® Open is also awesome. It brings us closer as a community, it pushes our limits and tests skills we’ve been working on all year.

What if you were to shift your perspective and refocus your mental energy? I’m here to remind you that progress isn’t made without putting in the work. Hard work. Because in the end, the only thing that ‘sabotages’ our Open performances isn’t Dave Castro, the new movement standards, or the workouts – it’s ourselves.

Here are four lessons we can learn from, moving forward:

1. The Open is a great reminder: control what you can control and forget about the rest.

Can you control what the workout is going to be? No. Can you control how much you’ve practiced each movement the previous 12 months, your attitude going into workouts, and the reaction you have when you face adversity? Yes. And that’s a much better use of your energy.

2. Last minute learning = hitting the panic button

It happens every year. Dave announces a movement like double unders, muscle ups, or some other high-skill movement during the Open, and the procrastinators panic. Sure you can get your first [enter gymnastics movement here] during the Open without preparing for it, it’s possible. But you shouldn’t expect success if you haven’t been practicing, drilling yourself, breaking down the movement, and doing the work. On that same note, you shouldn’t make a scene if your failure to prepare leaves you with failed reps and a lackluster score on the leaderboard. Instead, own your lack of preparation and get back to the drawing board.

3. You can’t hide from movements you hate

There are athletes at gyms around the world who hide from certain types of workouts, or even particular movements. Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “crap that’s me!” The CrossFit Open exposes athletes like this with stunning accuracy – myself included. in the Open, you don’t get to cherry pick. You can’t hide from your weaknesses. Starting this year, it’s time to grind through it. Don’t let your weaknesses get to you. You’re a badass, you do CrossFit; who gives a crap if you think you “look stupid” while struggling through those double unders you hate? This is the year to put in the work. And once the dust of the Open has settled (like now) take time to make a game plan for how to fix those weaknesses.

4. Dave Castro’s job isn’t to coddle your ego, it’s to transform it.

Raise your hand if the mention of handstand push-ups still makes you want to cry a little bit (raises hand). A lot of interesting commentary surfaced the week after 18.4 came to a close – this is a good read if you haven’t already seen it. Did the new standard suck? Of course it did. But remember, CrossFit is supposed to be hard! Handstand push-ups are no exception. It’s the challenge of it – both mentally and physically – that actually leads to true growth and transformation. The new standards were set for that very reason… to challenge us, the quality of reps, and to perform the movement in a safer manner. So let’s stop wallowing and carrying about how Dave Castro was mean and shift our mindset. Bottom line: be humbled and happy any weaknesses were exposed. That should be your motivation for something to achieve. You have a year to work on them.

In closing, training for the 2019 Open starts now. What are you going to do about it? The Open teaches us as much about our character as it does our physical abilities. And that’s awesome! We’re exercising for fun, learning new things, and spending time with good friends. How incredible is that? If you’re ready to crush your weaknesses, let your coaches know what you’ll be working on. If you need help with a specific movement, let us know… we’re here for you! April means it’s time to update the goal board with new 3-month goals. Be sure to add your name and set a goal or update your new 3-month goal!

—Coach Chris

by Coach Aaron Hyatt

I relish the feeling of using all my strength and power until I’m spent but regularly training at that intensity is a mistake. As has been said before, “training to failure (all the time) is failing to train”.

I was introduced to CrossFit in late 2011. Like most, I was skeptical that a short-duration, high-intensity protocol could offer significant benefits. I finally committed in November of 2011 and went full steam ahead. I was ecstatic. After a couple weeks of regularly attending classes, I felt like Superman. Whether it was the peak heart rates I achieved or the neuroendocrine response, I felt stronger, faster, better, and more confident in my abilities than at any other time in my life. And the joy of a newfound physical and psychological power made me go harder and faster still.

Although cautioned otherwise, I started doing two CrossFit workouts a day, sometimes along with a session of olympic weightlifting. After all, if a little is good, then a lot is better, right?

In retrospect, my obsessive approach seems quite silly and an obvious mistake. But even now, despite my passing on the caution that I received, I see friends new to CrossFit doing the same thing I did. The benefits of CrossFit are significant, and when those benefits come from such a small investment in time, the money-for-nothing proposition is, for most, too good to pass up.

As a result of my mistakes, I have come up with three rules all newcomers to CrossFit can benefit from.

1. Focus on the volume of work prescribed, not on the loads. The WOD (workout of the day) is designed for the fittest of the fit. Unless you’ve been doing CrossFit for years—or unless your genetic code has something mine doesn’t—I suggest making reps a higher priority than loads. The cardiorespiratory stimulus of completing the prescribed reps at a reduced load seems to be equivalent to or greater than that of taking the significant extra time and rest to get through too-heavy loads, and this strategy leaves something in the tank, which is essential for healthy, long-term training. For example, “Diane” consists of 21-, 15-, and 9-rep rounds of 225-pound deadlifts and handstand push- ups. I recommend disregarding “225-pound” and “handstand” if they feel unmanageable and instead choosing loads that allow you to complete the workout, whether in complete sets or reasonably broken ones. Note: “Handstand” in this case is essentially a load designation. Piked [inverted and bent at the waist], feet-raised [toward a handstand], standard [horizontal], and feet-lowered [as in upward-facing stair push-ups] are all legitimate ways to scale push- up loads.
2. Use speed as an intensifier before weight. Once a personalized WOD has been achieved, I make a faster result my goal, rather than an increase in weight, on subsequent performances of that WOD. I find it much more rewarding to shave seconds than to struggle under more plates. Subsequently, faster times increase my motivation for each workout. The thought “my work-to-weight ratio is higher” is a better motivator than “I’m not as strong as I want to be.” (However, this is a personal bias. Focus on weight if that’s where your priorities lie.)
3. Most importantly, low motivation does not necessarily mean you’re lazy. Lowered motivation may be your body’s way of recruiting your emotions as a messenger that it needs a break. I know most CrossFitters are action-oriented people, so a day or two of sloth or lethargy may not mean you’re a slacker. It could be precisely the necessary WOD for you. When I can ignore my ambition and listen to my body on days like this, I often discover that “yeah, my legs are pretty heavy” or “man, it hurts just to lift a can of La Croix.” Best of all, a few extra rest days mixed into a full workout schedule often brings the snap back. It could be the difference between a workout that is a chore and one that sets a new personal record.

Now that I’ve committed to the process rather than the result and can be consistent in my workouts, my training is more effective and even more enjoyable. My gains are slower in the short term, but over a longer timeline, they are far greater due to my ability to be consistent.

Coach Glassman issued the warning in an issue of the CrossFit Journal: “We have counseled in ‘Getting Started’ and repeatedly elsewhere that the WOD is designed to exceed the capacities of the world’s fittest humans and starting CrossFit by throwing yourself at the WOD 100% will result in devastating failure. We’ve recommended that anyone attempting CrossFit first get through a month of ‘going through the motions’ before diving in with full intensity—establish consistency before intensity. Countless badasses from sporting and special operations communities, long regarded as bulletproof, have been burned at the stake of ego and intensity.”

Placing consistency before intensity will prevent burnout and injury every time.

by Coach Vanessa Dickens

Have fun with 18.2/18.2a, I challenge you to push a little pass your comfort zone. Pace the first 6 rounds, start a touch slower than you would normally, these burpees are going to catch up to you, lactic acid will cause a bit of burning in those legs. Find a comfortable way for YOU to hold the dumbbells, try your best to maintain form on your squats, chest up, weight in heels. This will allow you to control your breathing, conserve energy and protect that back—which might be burning due to the volume of burpees.

As for the burpees, this is not the time to try a new technique. Figure out a rhythm and style that works for you. I’m a big fan of landing legs wide on the jump back and then pivoting when I jump over the bar, that way I’m facing it on the other side. Here you want to be smart and conserve your energy. Burpees are tough, but you can make them a bit smoother and dare I say, fun!

At 8 rounds you’re halfway there. This is the time to dig deep and grind them out. A great goal is to finish under 10 minutes, that way you have a bit of rest before hitting those cleans. It’s okay if you miss your first lift or if it feels less than perfect, your body is in a bit of shock. Push hard, you got this. Remember, others can load your bar. Take advantage of this to compose yourself, shake out your arms and legs, and get after it.

Warming up: play around with lighter dumbbells, figure out your most comfortable front rack position. Build up to about your 60 percent of your current 1-rep and go over a touch, maybe 5,10lbs You know your body, choose what’s right for you! Here, we want to try to mimic how those cleans are going to feel in the workout. And when you get to the cleans, they are going to feel heavier, legs are jello, lungs are burning.

Most of all have fun, enjoy the journey, feed off the magic that happens when you are pushing and playing next to your friends. We’re all in this together!