Crossfit Open Workout 18.1 Strategy Guide
The 2018 Crossfit Open is here and with it comes a variety of workouts to challenge all levels of fitness
One of the aspects of Crossfit that I love is the Open. Not only is it a national competition where local athletes legitimately have a shot at making the games, it also puts a cap on these athletes training year. Unlike any other type of training, Crossfit athletes work all year to bring up weaknesses and optimize strengths and now is the time where they get to see what worked and what didn’t.
Without further ado, here’s Open Workout 18.1 and how I would tackle it.
The 18.1 Open Workout Is
20 Minute AMRAP
8 Toes to bar
10 dumbbell hang clean to overhead (5 on each arm)
Calories on the the rower-14 (men)/12 (women)
My 18.1 Open Workout Strategy To Dominate 18.1 Is…
1) Understand your efficiency on the rower. The rower is going to be where many people lose time. The toes-to-bar and clean and jerk will together equal as much time on the rower so make sure you think about pacing option. You do not have a lot of time to make up for lost time in this workout.
The goal os the rower is to try go unbroken or as close as possible but this can not be done if you go too hard too fact on the rower.
2) Break up the toes-to bar over the clean and jerk. Truthfully you can choose to break during either movement. Breaking during the clean and jerk may add extra time as you’ll have to stop, reset and pick up the dumbbell. Regardless of where you break, focus on the clock!
3) Find your pace on the clean and jerk., That movement is all about the rebound effect. You want to avoid over fatiguing your biceps and you don’t want to make the movement all shoulders. Find the spot that allows you to have continually movement while also using your hamstrings and lower back
4) Optimize your row form. Do not get so worked up and that you fatigue your arms on the rower. You want a relaxed grip
5) Focus on the clock and get to work. Remember, your grip is KEY here.
How To Increase Your Endurance To Train Harder And Recover Faster
One of the BIGGEST strength qualities for any Crossfit Open workout in 2018 is endurance and the ability to push through a workout, regardless of the intensity or duration.
The Physique Formula BCAAs allow you to recover faster and delay fatigue WHILE you train so you can keep pushing as your muscles break down. It is artificial sweetener free and has added betaine, taurine, citrulline and glutamine.
What are the benefits of using BCAAS?
BCAAS: boost performance, decrease fatigue and muscle soreness.Hard training individuals, especially Crossfit athletes, know what it’s like when they hit a wall during their workouts due to fatigue. BCAA’s can help with fatigue management during strength training. For starters, BCAA’s are efficient energy sources during training which allows your body to maintain intra-cellular ATP for sustained training energy.
Betaine: In 2010,the University of Connecticut found that weight training individuals who took 1.25 grams of betaine twice per day increased their strength by 25 percent and power by 20 percent. That’s amazing! The researchers also noticed that betaine significantly elevated markers of muscle protein synthesis post workout.
Taurine .What makes taurine so exciting is that studies have shown it may help athletes boost their VO2 max, increase the time it took for them to reach exhaustion and improved their maximal workload.
Citrulline A 2010 study found that subjects undergoing resistance training who took citrulline malate were able to perform 50 percent more repetitions once they hit fatigue.
Glutamine: Studies show that glutamine can help to decrease leucine oxidation, essentially slowing down the speed at which your body runs through leucine.
