March 18, 2016

I honestly didn’t think it was possible for Regular Jim to look any older than he usually does. Well..turns out I was wrong!

WOD w/115#, 12# ball, & HRPU
17:45
Through 41 cal row at 13:00 cut off

Hello CF Jenks Athletes, Here are a few initial quick thoughts and coaches notes to help you prepare for and attack Open WOD 16.4
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For most the goal is going to be getting to the HSPUs and still have good capacity and shoulder strength and stamina along with hip drive from the kip to knock out some HSPUs.
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To get here all athletes in my opinion need to be a little humble and accept smart sets with short breaks to maximize time to get there while not being spent when you arrive. I will get more in the details below, but ask yourself as an athlete out of the 1st three exercises what are your strengths and what are your weaknesses. This is important as it will allow you to either push a little more on the deads or wallballs but be very respectable on your weakness and attack that exercise with a strategy of smart sets.
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Do not get me wrong, you are going to need to move quickly but it has to be smartly in order to maximize performance at the HSPU and possibly beyond.
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1st thing, set up your wall mark and make sure it is accurate, follow the rules and make sure it is set up for you. Have your judge inspect a couple HSPU after it is set up. Be careful here and pay attention. Know what you have to do to get above the line as when the fatigue sets in it takes a lot of effort to dorsiflex the foot while squeezing the legs to get that heel over the line. Pay attention to where your hands are at by width and distance from wall. I suggest marking hand spots/marks, because as you fatigue the hands may drift wider or further from wall and in the heat of battle you will not know it and wonder why your feet won’t get over line. Get to know your HSPUs and hand position. Double check measure/re-measure again at WOD specific warm-up
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DEADLIFTS, Set your back and ensure pulling thru hammies and glutes each set even if this is a light or moderate weight. Keep a neutral neck like holding that apple under your chin as you will be looking up on Wallballs and on your head/neck in HSPUs. Based on you capacity perform smart sets with short rests. Consider 5 sets of 10 and one set of 5 with 3-5 sec rest each set or one set of 15 then 4 sets of 10. Some may need to do sets of 5 or 8-7 and even 3-2 or 10-8-7-5-5-5-3-2-3-2-3-2. This may change in the WOD just do not get to doing big sets with big breaks. If you can do big sets with short breaks then just be careful and work it. Remember the key is to keep chipping away forward but quickly and smartly.
Couple other notes, use a mixed grip and try to avoid singles as long as possible. Capitalize on the stretch reflex in the down phase. If you get to singles, no worries just keep at good rhythm on picking up bar. Once again set that back every time.
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WALLBALLS, for many and it is amazing but some of you will be able to do big sets with short rests, just be careful and do not drive your self in the ground here. For many other athletes it will be similar to the deadlifts. Push yourself and move quickly but smartly on your sets. Smarts sets with short breaks. Wallballs can really run the cardio-respiratory rate up, so manage this and know it is coming, but do not get sucked in to large sets with big breaks. Seriously and this might sound crazy to you wallball monsters that will go unbroken or in 2-3 sets, for the rest of us consider a descending set of 10-9-8-7-6-5-5-5 = 55 reps or look at 15 reps then 4 sets of 10 or 5 sets of 10 and one set of 5. On the other end of the spectrum 25-15-10-5. Just examples, go with what works for your body. Remember the key is to keep chipping away forward but quickly and smartly.
Couple other notes, really try do have a good transfer of core to extremity power to save the shoulders on your shots. Relax as much as possible in the down phase and explode on way up. Make sure you have a good target to shoot to (accuracy). Discuss with judge exactly what they consider a good rep on the type of target you have. Try to breath normally as much as possible and at least one breath per set if not 2 breaths.
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The ROW, I can already here it ‘what about my damper,” if you have not already been experimenting with Tabata rows or meters or cals for time at different dampers to see what gives you a better time while not being exhausted, then get out there and mess with it. Best way is through personal practice and tests. If not sure, stay with what you normally use, but do not make it so hard of a pull it wears you out and the flywheel stops between pulls or slows way down. I personally row a 4 as I used to row an 8 or 10, but after several tests 4 always wins.
IMPORTANT notes on the ROW, get on the rower and build in nicely to a good pace in about 15-25 strokes, then keep after a good pace rate that continues to get calories. While this will not be won on the rower, do not use the Row as recovery or not put some effort into it. Believe it or not the less force you put in on the rower when rowing for cals you will actually go further in meters and longer in time. So build up or recover those first 15-25 strokes establishing your rhythm then set a good pace rate to maintain while moving forward and chipping away at those cals consistently.
Couple other notes, remember drive with legs, then hips and finish with arms and reverse the order while continually breathing. Depending on your rowing type a low to moderate damper setting (3-6) will require a higher stroke rate but less exhausting on strength, whereas a high damper (7-10) will be a lower stroke rate but demand more strength each stroke. Know which way you perform best.
** Make sure the Judge puts in the tiebreak time as it will matter!
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HSPUs, awesome you made it! Now do not mess around, get up on the wall quickly and get you a good solid first set. Make every rep count, do not get ahead of yourself here. **As soon as you start to slow down or start to feel the HSPUs, I recommend coming off the wall. Now smart sets, do NOT go to failure. Avoid failure as long as possible. Smart sets and reps here. The sets should be quick with short breaks. I recommend no resting in a handstand. Quick singles, doubles or even triples are fine. Bigger sets if able but not to failure. When you lose the HSPU there is a lot of staring at wall and waiting on shoulders. Avoid this.
Couple other notes, KIP! I highly recommend kipping HSPU. Even if you are great at strict. Possibly knock out a good set or two strict, not to failure, then get to kipping. Remember, this standard is pretty tough and 55 of these are a lot. Be smart. Use your hips and kip, this is a larger muscle group and will help save the smaller shoulder muscle group. Use a good full kip with hips curled off the wall so your low back touches and you have a big ability to load and explode the hip and press up right when this explosion occurs. Relax as much as possible on the down phase.
Get to know your HSPUs and hand position. I recommend marking hand position.
**One alibi, if you get off rower and only have minimal time, go for it and make every rep count.

EQUIPMENT.
Good training area as far as placement of Wallballs, HSPU, Row, and deads.
Nanos and possibly knee sleeves.
Make sure batteries are good on rower.
Double check your Wall mark and hand mark if used.
Know your wallball target.

WARM-UP Ideas: General Warm-Up 5-10min general stretching and increased cardio-respiratory rate.

-Perform some basic dynamic and static stretches with focus on the shoulders and legs.
Then
-Row 10cals on normal damper setting and run 200m. Perform this 2 times. Rest and stretch 3-5min between sets. **If you are not sure of damper mess around some here testing 10 cal intervals on different damper settings. Do not overdo it or over think it.
We need to start processing O2 as we are going oxidative today.
-Perform some good shoulder, arm and chest stretches here with and without bands, good hip and leg stretches like couch stretch and dynamic lunge stretching. Ensure ankles, calves, Achilles, quads, hamstrings, lats are stretched and ready. Myofascial release and some light rolling and tissue prep especially for legs and shoulders and lower back.

WOD Specific Warm-Up 5-10min dynamic mobility, technique, and light resistance work.

-Perform some active inactive shoulder drills and some plank holds protracting and retracting shoulder and HSPU Holds.

-Perform a couple sets of 5-7 hip extensions and GHD sit-ups
-Perform some Russian and American KB swings building up in weight to help open shoulders and prepare hip hinging.
-Start building up on deadlifts to WOD weight and I recommend 10-20-40lbs over for a few reps. Just enough to be ready as you have 55 coming but make sure warm and ready.
Lastly
Perform 1 round of:
5-7 Deads
5-7 WallBalls
5-7 Cal Row
3-5 HSPU
**Double check measure/re-measure again at WOD specific warm-up
Perform 1 more/last round of:
5-7 Deads
5-7 WallBalls
5-7 Cal Row
3-5 HSPU
* if more warm-up or skills and drills are needed, please incorporate but just do not fatigue yourself!

Now rest around 5min while staying warm and be ready to crush it!

Good Luck and CrossFit work capacity.

Taking note of that prep!!! Thanks DB!!!

I’m not participating in the open, but I certainly appreciate your rowing pointers! Thanks so much, DB!

That was heavy…70% of my 1 rep max DL X 55!
131

Thanks for judging Brian

152 reps. OMB.

165 reps. Loved the deadlifts and rowing! Hit the handstand pu at 10:12 and couldn’t get 1! Grrrr!