CrossFit Hackney 15.2 Tips

I was away on holidays for 15.1 and didn’t get the chance to share some tips.  The good news is, I’m back this week…. YAY

So, a repeat of 14.2 is on the cards, a nasty little death by overhead squats (OHS) and chest-to-bar pull-ups (C2B).  All I can remember from last year was the pain in my forearms, a pump Popeye would be proud of!

What’s you attack plan?

Get Warm

You are going to want to get hot and sweaty before you commence this WOD.  Go for a run, do some rowing, bike, start jumps, whatever it takes to get your body hot and sweaty.  Jumping under the bar without getting you sweat on is a one-way ticket to suboptimal performance.

It would also be a solid idea to spend some time in the bottom of a squat, do some air squats, mobilise those hips, and get those legs and booty muscles working.

Do the mobility

Overhead squats are a great test of flexibility and any tightness in ankles, hips, thoracic , shoulders and wrists will quickly become apparent.  If you know where you are tight, spend a fair amount of time prepping these joints for the OHS beat down.  This workout is going to be heavy on the shoulder and having a poor range of motion in the OHS is going to be taxing.  Do your best to fix you position before you get under the bar.

Need to find some mobility drills, got to the mobility god Kelly Starrett: http://www.mobilitywod.com/  and search by joint name, or exercise name.  You can also ask one of the coaches for some mobility tips when your next at the box.

Get the muscles working

The OHS is not heavy and if you have the ability to perform OHS you should be sweet with this weight.  However, spending some time under a slightly heavier load with activate more muscle fibers and your central nervous system (CNS).  Performing some moderate to heavy back/front squats will make the OHS feel a lot lighter in the first few rounds.  I’m not talking a high number of reps here, a dynamic effort of 2-3 squats every 2minutes will do the trick.  I wouldn’t go for heavy OHS, as you need to save those shoulders for the fight ahead.

The same idea also holds true for the pull-ups.  You could do some strict weighted pull-ups, ring rows, bent over rows, or single arm KB/DB rows to help fire up the lats and the biceps #LoveAGunShow #FindAMirror

Get your Moves On

Now that you’re warm, mobile and activated, its time to increase that heart rate again and prep the body for the fun times ahead.  Performing a couple of rounds of the OHS and the C2B pull-ups will allow you to feel out the movements and practice your transitions.  I suggest 2 rounds of 4-6reps of each should be sweet!  This is not for time and is simply a way for you to get fully prepped.

What’s your game plan?

Be conservative!  Slow it down!  It’s not a race to get the first 2 rounds done and then rest as long as possible.  You want to keep your heart rate as low as possible for as long as possible. DO NOT GO BALLS TO THE WALL. #justsaying

Again the weight of the OHS for those who have been doing CrossFit for a while should not be an issue.  Aim to complete these reps unbroken at a steady pace.  Think slow on the way down and fast on the way up, this will help you to keep your balance and timing.  If your shoulders start to fatigue during the OHS try changing the width of your grip, it just might help.

After completing the OHS, take you time to walk to the pull-up bar, even take 20sec to chalk you hands and set yourself for pull-up glory. You will need to break the pul-ups, before they break you!  Breaking the repetitions from the start is going to be the smartest approach.  Trust me, your grip is going to be an issue in the later rounds.  Sets of 3-5 repetitions are the way forward in this game of pull-up.  However, this does not mean you should drop of the bar and then take another 10secs to do your makeup.  Break the reps up and keep the rest to a minimum between sets.

Once you have completed the 2 rounds, in the allocated 3minutes, you need to focus on you breathing. It’s going to be a gassy workout and your need to get as much oxygen into the system as possible.  Try to breath through your nose and into your stomach, as this will help you recover faster.

At the end of the day it’s just another WOD.  Your goal should be to beat your score from 14.2, or simply do your best on the day.

Good luck and have some fun with it team!