FuBarbell

Third week into Open and here’s where things will start to separate for many of us. They start with a high level CrossFit skill in the muscle up, punish the legs with some metabolic demand and then demand accuracy in your coordination while under fatigue with the double unders. Boom!

Today’s tips and tricks centers around basic workout strategy. For more specific movement prep and tips, head over to Carl Paoli’s page at @freestyleconnection and be sure to check out what he has to say in regards to this spicy little triplet.

To get things started:

1. This is going to be a shoulder burner for sure. Be sure to buy some extra slack in and around the shoulder joint; and if you’re like me, nothing gets my arch’s blown up like high volume wall balls. Pair them up with double unders and it’s BBQ city for sure! Get that arch rolling on a lacrosse ball to open up the fascia and keep the cramping at bay.

2. Heart rate management is key to scoring well on this workout. 14 minutes might not seem like a long time on paper, but it’s much longer than you think when you’re in the thick. Finding a sustainable pace will keep you consistent and consistency will keep you scoring points while minimizing time lost during transitions.

3. No matter what, don’t miss reps. It’s expensive and will blow you out. This line of thought will help you decide what rep and set scheme to choose on the movements by remembering to always save a few reps in the tank.

4. It might be tempting in the first round to knock out all 50 reps on the wall balls, but resist the urge to do so. This will leave your legs feeling extra heavy for the double unders causing potential trip-ups and losing valuable time.

5. Maintain your composure to maximize your efficiency. Keeping calm will allow you to flow better through the workout, help manage fatigue and also keep you from tripping up on the double unders.

6. Keep your eye on the clock in the last 3 minutes of the workout. This is where you can pick up speed and try to hustle. Try your hardest to make it back to the double unders before the clock runs out. These are easy points if you can spend your last 30s to 1 minute just hammering out the reps.