It’s that time of year again and you’ve probably heard whispers about the CrossFit open and you might be getting a little nervous even though we have a little time to prepare. We as coaches have been planning and will continue to plan in order to give you the best shot at attacking this yearly test of fitness. Yes we understand there are the regionals and then eventually the games however we feel that one should accept the open for what it is, a test to see how fit we’ve become from our former selves. With that being said we ask that people not get all crazy and try to up the volume all of a sudden in response to the impending open. There are a few things that we as athletes can do in addition to our box’s programming to help better prepare ourselves.
1. Attack Your Weakness(es)
Ask yourself this, “Are there any movements I need to dial in, improve my rep count in, or simply cannot perform?” If the answer is yes we suggest that you take an extra 15 minutes a day and work on them after the wod in EMOM form. Simply take the movement and focus on doing that movement perfectly. Do this 2-3 times per week and make sure that it doesn’t conflict with what we’ve done the previous day. For example, performing HSPU work a day after bench press day is NOT a good idea. Rather, it’s better to do all that upper body push work on the same day to maximize recovery.
2. Mobility, Mobility, Mobility
Get yourself in order and attack your movement the way you would your conditioning or your strength training. Focus on a group of muscles each day (hamstrings/hipflexors) (internal/external rotation), take 10-15 minutes each day after class to focus on your body and how you are moving because it will add up to more reps in the end.
3. Nutrition
As far as nutrition is concerned now is the best time to be finding what works for you when it comes to high intensity metcon. You need to find what works for you in order to both fuel you and help you recover. Experiment with more or less carbohydrate before and or after a workout in order to find what fuels your body. For some people this means synthetic carbohydrate, for others this may mean lower glycemic whole food options. Perhaps the most overlooked concept is the concept of nutrient timing. You as an athlete should be experimenting with when your body needs nutrients in relation to your workout. Some athletes can eat 15 minutes before their workout and some may need to leave more time to avoid feeling nauseated.
The most important thing to remember about the open is that it’s all about you and your improvement. Make a game plan for each wod and stick to it. If you execute your plan then you’ve already won. It’s going to be another fun year of accomplishment during the open and we are honored to get to live it with you. Have fun and we will see you Feb 27th .