We're almost in the home stretch and here's the exercise some of you have been waiting for and the rest of you have been dreading.
Muscle Ups have arrived.
I believed that when we saw the muscle ups this year they would be at the beginning of a WOD to force people to do it in escalation, and thus eliminate several hundred athletes or leave countries where no one could do the WOD in RX without a place in the Games.
But it has been the case, so everyone still has a chance. Of the gymnastic skills, the muscle up is one of the least advanced, however, in 19.4 it comes after a short anaerobic piece and a rest.
Be smart! Not only is the ability to do an advanced gymnastic exercise tested, but also the ability to recover and be able to do it quickly and well. This wod is above all about knowing how to manage effort/recovery to be able to do muscle ups. Personally it is my favorite WOD of the Open so far.
In total we have 3 movements: snatch, bar facing burpees and bar muscle ups.
For total time:
3 rounds of:
10 snatches
12 bar-facing burpees
Rest 3 minutes
Then, 3 rounds of:
10 bar muscle-ups
12 bar-facing burpees
Time cap: 12 minutes
Snatch:
They are power snatches and the weight is light! This is your usual rhythm with the bar along with some burpess and is designed to raise your heart rate and see how you recover for the second part. This WOD is totally the second part!
If you handle the weight easily, I recommend doing the snatches with a close grip, so your shoulders will be fresher.
Part in manageable series. There is no need to go unbroken unless you can do an unbroken Isabel (30 snatch). Control your breathing and rest time when starting a set. If you have doubts, split the repetitions!
Burpees:
They are bar facing burpees, so you always start in front of the bar and the rep doesn't end until you've jumped to the other side of the bar. Unlike 2018, we can again start and exit the burpee with a step, however, if you do it in RX, you MUST jump over the bar with a 2 foot takeoff. However, the landing is not necessarily a 2-foot landing. This opens up many opportunities and, especially strategically, I will suggest employing different styles throughout this post.
I recommend doing the burpees in the first part and the second part differently. So let's separate them:
Bar Facing burpees, part 1:
As I mentioned, this first part is designed to tire you out and therefore anything you can do to minimize the amount of wear and tear you will have will ensure the quickest recovery for the second part.
It has a soft rhythm in this part . Even though you want to finish this part as quickly as possible, wasting a few seconds here can be useful later. Step down and up on all your burpees. This way of doing them doesn't have to be slow, but it won't increase your heart rate as much. You have to be methodical and keep moving, making sure to control your breathing throughout the process. Do a good bounce on the floor and avoid exaggerating the push with your arms. Let your legs work more, your arms should be ready for later.
(The tactics for Burpess from Part 2 are below)
The 3 minute break:
If you finished the first part in less than 9 minutes, you have a 3-minute break before starting part 2. If you finished it in more than 9 minutes, the WOD is over, and if I were you, I would give it a second chance at another moment.
While we may be tempted to lay low and wait until the time comes, that is NOT how this “break” should be approached. Rest is part of the test , and what you do during this time can greatly influence the performance you will have in the second part.
Use this period to mentally prepare yourself for what's to come.
If you need a drink, drink. I highly recommend walking while controlling your breathing to slow your heart rate. If your fitness is good, you should be able to get it down to almost baseline in 3 minutes (if you were smart enough in the first part). The goal is, prepare for the next part ( don't die on the ground. You may die later! )
Bar muscle Ups/Chin ups
For many people this is the moment of truth! Many of you have worked all year for this moment, and now is the time to try it. If you were smart in the first part, you are now in the best possible position to succeed at the task at hand, whether it be muscle ups or pull ups.
Prepare for success. Try a repetition only if you are sure about it. A non-rep is bad for the ego, but above all it wastes a lot of energy. Unless you are a muscle up beast, you won't go unbroken . Know your limits, be clear when to break a series, never reach failure. Going one at a time are perfectly fine! Each person has their own rhythm. Don't feel pressured and fail
Avoid non-reps!
- Your feet cannot exceed the height of the bar, so gymnastic kipping is not allowed.
- Except your hands, no other part of your arm can touch the bar.
- Finish the rep, lock your arms and shoulders, it would suck to lose all your work by not completing the last part of the exercise
- Finally, if you are linking reps, remember that you cannot let go of your hands and rest on the bar.
Bar facing burpees, part 2:
My recommendation here is completely different. Now you have reached the final round and the goal is to go as far as possible and finally finish. Now you must attack. If you are able to jump back and forth at this point on the burpees, jump! . You can also increase the pace a little to try to reach maximum repetitions if you are not going to finish.
However, you decide how to do it, set a goal and make a plan. The right pacing strategy can pay big dividends by getting those extra reps out and moving up a few spots in the rankings.
This is a WOD that you can easily repeat , especially if you didn't make it to the second part initially or if the Gods bar wasn't too kind to you the first time.
As always, know the rules and standards BEFORE doing the WOD . Whether your goal is to go to the Games or just have fun. It is mandatory, especially if you raise the score, to be honest so that the Open really serves so that the best can advance to the phase.
So put on your PicSil Grips and 3...2...1 Good luck!
