So…who wants to talk about the CrossFit Games Open???

I am going to put 2 optional workouts on the board – a burpee/DU tabata and a row/burpee/row for you to test out.  Yes, information pills the Open is 10-12 weeks out.  That may seem like a while, but if you want to perform your best, I would start preparing now.

How do we prepare for the Open?  By building our engine.  We have spent the last few months really focusing on strength, and we have seen great gains across the gym.  Now, in getting ready for the Open, are we improving fitness or “getting ready for the test?”  Well, when the test is inclusive as the Open, prepping for the test IS improving our fitness.

First, strength is a component of fitness, but it’s only 1 (of 10).  Plus, of the 27 workouts that have been tested in the Open, 1 has been a max effort event.  There has been some heavy stuff, but generally, you need to display conditioning before you get to display strength.

Surprisingly, we did not do burpees in the Open last year.   There were no burpees performed at Regionals or the CrossFit Games.  BUT…The sustained effort that burpees require is similar to nearly every test we will see.  For this reason, and many others, burpees make an easy, simple way to improve conditioning and prepare for the – generally – 7 to 15 minute gut-checks, err, workouts that the CrossFit Games Open will call on us to perform.

Finally, prepare for Muscleups.  They are coming.  I will do a Muscleup clinic on a Saturday in early January.  Practice the transition to from the pull to a dip.

Workout of the Day

5 RFT

“Victoria”

10 Thrusters 95/65

14 Box Jumps 24/20

12 Sumo Deadlift Highpull 95/65

12 Burpees

27 Kettlebell Swings 53/35

30 minute time cap

This WOD was recommended by Coach Sarah.  It is dedicated to Victoria Soto, a teacher that was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT on December 14, 2012.