FOMO…Fear of Missing the Open

EIE Challenge Week 6: Last chance to sign up for the CrossFit Games Open is today! Do it 5 minutes ago HERE.
Swim Night! Register HERE!

Thursday February 27, 2014

Prehab:

DROM
Banded Overhead Distraction

Warmup:

30s Handstand Hold
5 Scap Pullups (Lat Activation)
25′ Bear Crawl
30s Handstand Hold
10 Bar Taps
25′ Duck Walk

Gymnastics Strength:

4 rounds or 15 minutes:
5-10 Handstand walking steps
10 Planche Push ups
10 Strict toes to bar

Notes: Use bands as needed for push ups and spotters if possible to practice Handstand walking in free space. Shoulder taps may also be performed. For toes to bar, focus on control when lowering to minimize swing. If this is challenging, practice getting your knees up as high as you can each rep or try hanging from the rings. 

Conditioning:

4 Rounds for Quality:
1 Legless Rope Climb + 1 Anchored Rope Climb
10 Pistols, alternating
10 Grasshoppers (Right + Left = 1)
-20 min cap-

 Notes: Scale legless rope climb for rope climb with legs or perform 4 rope “lowers”.

Cool Down:

Tabata Hollow Hold

5 Weeks, 5 Workouts. The Open is that simple.

I have to make one last ditch effort to persuade those of you who have not registered for the Open yet to do so before it is too late (Technically Monday at 5pm, but lets call it now for the sake of urgency). But first, you might still be confused about exactly what the Open is. Let me fix that.

What is the Open? The CrossFit Games Open is an inclusive test-of-fitness competition that anybody can participate in. The purpose is to find the fittest individuals and gyms in each region worldwide to compete at the CrossFit Games Regionals. The winners of regionals will be invited to compete at the CrossFit Games here in Los Angeles. The CrossFit Games is like the World Series of Fitness.

How Does it Work? Every Thursday at 5pm PST from today until March 27, CrossFit will announce a workout that all participants worldwide (138,610 people participated in 2013) will complete with the same standards, in front of a judge, and report their score online by the following Monday. You can complete the workout at any registered affiliate worldwide, or take a video of yourself performing the workout in an average Joe’s Gym or your garage. You cannot scale the workouts, but do not let that intimidate you. The first portion of each workout is as inclusive as possible, for example last year the first workout began with 40 burpees.

Why I Think You Should Participate: Frank did a great job outlining 7 reasons to participate in Monday’s Post so I am going to add to it with an ‘unbroken mind’, long-term perspective. The Open will show you your current weaknesses, and this can be scary to look at. We all want to be invincible. We don’t enjoy having our weaknesses exposed, especially in a group of our peers, but without learning our weaknesses we cannot improve upon them.

Don’t let the fear of knowing your current limitations hold you back from an opportunity for long term growth. The Open is a great self-assessment and tracking tool that can inform what you need to work on, and your progress year-over-year. Last year I learned that my Olympic Lifts were my number one weakness. I promptly joined Venice Barbell Club and now I feel comfortable lifting weight for multiple unbroken reps that I couldn’t put over my head last year. Progress feels great, but you first have to overcome the fear of measuring your current situation.

My unbroken mind challenge this week is: overcome resistance and sign up for the open RIGHT NOW. If you have already signed up, embrace your weaknesses when they arise, push through to the best of your ability, write the weakness down afterwards, and when the open is over make a plan to correct it rather than sweep it under the rug.

Author: Matthew Walrath