32627 Open Lessons
Don’t forget that the teens this week are training at 8:30am class!
MetCon//
Rx
21:00 EMOM
a. 12 Toes To Bar
b. 10 Push Ups
c. 12 Alternating Pistols
Scales
a. 6 Toes to bar, 12 hanging knee raise, or AbMat sit ups
b. 10 Box Push-Ups
c. Pistols to a target, pistols holding on to something
I think that the Open season was a success and I hope you had a lot of fun as a whole. Even if you were frustrated at times, it shows that you were invested, which is cool- caring is always cool! You should take some time to reflect on the lessons it taught you. I always come away from the Open with a new perspective on training. Mac and I have done this multiple times now so these lessons aren't new to us, but the Open has a way of making them as fresh as the day we first realized them.
A friendly reminder about intensity- When you train daily and revisit workout types and movements, it is easy to fall into the habit of "gaming" workouts. That is pacing workouts to minimize stress or discomfort or effort and maximize the score on the board. This is totally backwards. Any training day or mid-week wod should be just as intense and nerve-wracking as an Open WOD. The way CrossFit is effective is through the actual intensity. Seasoned CrossFitter's need to be reminded of this. The athletes we chuckle at for smashing through the first round of a 20:00 workout at some blistering and unsustainable speed are the ones who are doing it right! I watched you all go way harder for these Open workouts and it was great to see. Hopefully it was fun for you to experience the ends of your capacity even though it was really really uncomfortable!
A list of your weaknesses. A.K.A. New Goals- What slowed you down? It is really easy to see the things you should be working on. We try to hit as much stuff as possible in the daily programming, but some things just take some extra special effort. Flexibility, double unders, higher skill movements. What are the things you could come in a little early or stay late to work on?
CrossFit doesn't need to be a sport- As much as the Open is about competition and experiencing your limits yadda yadda, you now have first hand experience of the actual CrossFit Games. Go ahead and compare your scores to the big dogs. Insane, right?! They're in their mid 20's, train full-time, don't have kids, have full teams of coaches and nutritionists and doctors. There's freedom in knowing that the ship has sailed on our hopes to achieve that level of fitness (which by the way may not even be as healthy for the long term based on their stress levels). No need to train 3 times a day, you can give yourself a little grace for your bottom abs not showing up. We can all just have fun getting fitter on one wod a day! "Hey cool, I'm towards the top of the daily leader board, that's neat, but Tia Claire-Toomey can snatch as much as Devin." You didn't make it to the CrossFit games, but you'll be able to enjoy a beer or a brownie this weekend...err... every weekend.
You are in really good shape, and we have proof- You'll come away from the Open with a placing. You can see your placing in the world, country, region, state and gym, gender, age etc. CrossFit didn't invent exercise or strength and conditioning but it did quantify and define fitness so you can be happy knowing that your fitness has been tested by one true standard. Increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains. It's the end of any debate about fitness or health. It's the answer to the world's most vexing problem- Chronic Disease. Your co-worker or old college buddy who thinks they're fitter because they play pick up basketball every week or do P-80-Z or whatever it's called, they can sign up for the same competition, otherwise they haven't truly had their fitness tested. I don't know if you would even care about this, but any normal person off the street, even if they are p-50-x'ers or city league basketball champs can't do what you do, yah, I'm even talking about those of you who just joined the gym and feel like you're barely surviving this stuff.
We have a really cool community- We had 50+ athletes sign up and participate in the Open this year. I'm not surprised- we had a lot last year too, but I'm impressed that you were willing to sign up and compete against Tia and Matt. You all had awesome team spirit, even dressed up, even cross-dressed for stupid points. I didn't even tell you the prize or what you were competing for. Those are the kind of people I want to work with and who make Harvest fun. And even those who didn't sign up or were on a team, came around to support their friends.