CrossFit Games season is here! In a few days, the madness will begin again, more than 400,000 athletes prepare to test their physical condition for 5 weeks with tests intelligently designed by the one and only Dave Castro, the Director of the CrossFit Games.
If we do a quick summary, the Opens are the first step towards the CrossFit Games. Everyone can participate, the wods are scalable, it is truly a community event since each training is done in your own Box (or any other you choose) with a registered judge, or by sending videos, and is judged by the community . For some, the Opens are also the first step towards CrossFit Games qualification, as this is where athletes will move on to the next phase, the CrossFit Games Regionals. But if we're really honest, the CrossFit Games Open is the end of the road for most people signed up. This is in no way a bad thing. Opens are a great way to test physical ability, to encourage people to try harder, to go out and try, and often to get that exercise that seemed impossible (I've seen many people do their first muscleup, pullup , double under, etc. during the Open).
I'm going to assume that you don't need to be convinced to sign up for the Open (why wouldn't you?) and that you're going to focus on everything that can help you make the Open the best experience possible.
The first decision you will have to make is whether to compete in the Rx category or the strong> climbing category. I'm already hearing some people say "but can't I do some WODs in Rx and others in Scaled?" The answer is yes, you can, but I seriously advise you to choose one category or the other for several reasons.
There is a classification dedicated to the Scaled category where you can compare yourself with other people in the same situation; There's no need to deal with the frustration of spending an entire WOD trying to get a rep out of a move you don't control; and lose motivation to compete 100% Rx in the coming years. There are many other possible reasons, but those are the most important ones.
And you'll say, "What about improving my RM or my first pullup?" Well, you're right, but that doesn't mean you have to do it ON THE WOD. Use it as motivation to try the WOD, and if you can do multiple reps, do it on the WOD!
Now that you have chosen a category, you have five weeks of WODs ahead of you.
There are a few things to keep in mind. One of the first questions I have is “ How many times should I do the WOD each week?” ”. It's an excellent question, but there is no right answer. It depends a lot on what your goal is. Do you plan to go beyond the Open? So repeating the WOD several times can be an advantage, however we must remember that the final score is the combination of 5 weeks and not a single week.
Will repeating the WOD many times prevent you from doing the WODs in the coming weeks well? Will it prevent you from training correctly the rest of the days even if they are recovery training? These are points to take into account when we assess whether to repeat a WOD or not. Sometimes repeating a WOD doesn't mean improving it, so keep that in mind. From my personal experience , I usually make an attempt as a reconnaissance mission. It allows me to analyze the WOD beyond the theory, and make a plan to attack it when I repeat it. I have always made these approaches and have never failed. By this I mean that this way of working allows me to draw up a plan that I am happy with and carry it out successfully.
Now that we've talked about how many times to attempt the WOD during the 4 days available each week, let's talk about something very important: Opens can be very frustrating . They are designed for that, to test your limits. And they not only test you physically but also mentally. And that is why it is very important to have a plan (which I told you before when I talked about how many times I repeat a WOD). You should know and accept your limitations and make a plan within your means. If you say you can do a set of 20 Chest to Bar, don't start the WOD by doing a set of 20. Now you, your coach, or both of you should know what number of repetitions you are able to maintain for each exercise, and you should use that information when put together your plan to attack the WOD.
An exercise comes to mind, the HSPU, where once you get off the wall because you can't do any more reps you need a good amount of time before attempting the next rep, so try to never put yourself in that situation. My personal experience tells me that being very conservative with the number of repetitions does not work either. So there may be a WOD (or all 5) where you end up frustrated for one reason or another. It's a good idea to anticipate that potential frustration and plan how to overcome it proactively. Have a good frame of mind, be positive and if things fall apart at some point know that it is not the end of the world.
What is not talked about much but is important to keep in mind during the Open are the warm-ups, the return to calm and the recovery . I have found that many people do not like to warm up and feel that they are ready to start the WOD. It is important to prepare the body for what is to come. Whether it's doing mobility work, practicing the actual movements involved, trying out the weights being used, but the cardiovascular aspect is also important, staying warm and breathing hard. I have sometimes heard “I don't want to be tired before starting the WOD”. A well-designed specific warm-up does not leave you tired, on the contrary, it prepares you to attack it!
I have seen that very few people or no one knows what a return to calm is, much less doing it! After training it is a good idea to work on returning to calm, helping your body regenerate and prepare for recovery.
As for recovery, it affects many variants; nutrition (nutrition, supplementation, amounts of nutrients), rest, mobility, body work (massage, cryotherapy, physical therapy, chiropractic care, etc.), the options are endless and a good way to help the body recover from each attempt if They make multiple attempts, but also from week to week during the 5 week period.
The Opens can be overwhelming and frustrating , especially for a novice, but they can also be a positive and rewarding experience , if we allow it and plan for it.
As I am preparing my seventh Open, with options to qualify for my seventh Regional (not a goal this year) and my first experience as a Master (definitely a goal) I simplify it into: Commit - Plan - Test - Evaluate - Rethink - Redo - Recover. Focus on the positive aspects, use any negative aspects in a constructive way, and minimize frustration by being prepared.
