The Average CrossFitter, like me, will have let out a great big groan when 15.3 was announced. Muscle ups? First movement in a WoD? The average CrossFitter has not yet achieved a muscle up.
If this is you, and like me you’re stubbornly sticking with the Rx workouts, there’s not much I can do to help you. Sorry. Your coach, your mates who can do it and your favourite search engine will have many more clues than me about how to get your first muscle up. Or you can swallow your pride and do it scaled.
Dave Castro said last year about 14.4, a chipper with muscle ups at the end: “You should not go to regionals if you don't have a basic move like the muscle-up. Period." This year, this Open WoD seems to be saying: “You should not call yourself a Rx Athlete if you don't have a basic move like the muscle-up. Period.” We did expect with the introduction of the scaled divisions for the Open workouts to be perhaps a bit heavier, perhaps a higher level of skill required. This is a big step up.
The bar is rising in CrossFit. It is indisputable that each year, the top athletes are outperforming the top athletes from the last year, and the rest of us are getting fitter and more skilled. Beyond the Whiteboard, a very well used logging and analysis website for CrossFit has some interesting stats on improvements made from 14.2 to15.2 from their pool of hundreds of thousands of users in this article. With the standard being raised across the board, my deficiency in ring muscle ups make me feel like I’m getting left behind.
That’s not to say I will get a zero score. I have gotten a few dodgy ring muscle ups towards the end of last year, but some tendonitis in my shoulders put a stop to that. I had actually ceased entirely doing muscle up progressions, ring dips and even push ups for two months while dealing with the poor biomechanics that brought on the tendonitis. I am pleased to say that that my shoulders are pretty much fixed, and I reckon I will be able to get a few reps out. I do better under pressure, and this is pressure all right! I really don’t want a zero score.
I’ve already heard of some fantastic results from my mates at Remarkables, three of the guys got through two sets of the muscle ups, one of whom didn’t have them a few days ago! There will be stories of triumph coming out of the thousands of CrossFit boxes worldwide this weekend.
If this is you, and like me you’re stubbornly sticking with the Rx workouts, there’s not much I can do to help you. Sorry. Your coach, your mates who can do it and your favourite search engine will have many more clues than me about how to get your first muscle up. Or you can swallow your pride and do it scaled.
Dave Castro said last year about 14.4, a chipper with muscle ups at the end: “You should not go to regionals if you don't have a basic move like the muscle-up. Period." This year, this Open WoD seems to be saying: “You should not call yourself a Rx Athlete if you don't have a basic move like the muscle-up. Period.” We did expect with the introduction of the scaled divisions for the Open workouts to be perhaps a bit heavier, perhaps a higher level of skill required. This is a big step up.
The bar is rising in CrossFit. It is indisputable that each year, the top athletes are outperforming the top athletes from the last year, and the rest of us are getting fitter and more skilled. Beyond the Whiteboard, a very well used logging and analysis website for CrossFit has some interesting stats on improvements made from 14.2 to15.2 from their pool of hundreds of thousands of users in this article. With the standard being raised across the board, my deficiency in ring muscle ups make me feel like I’m getting left behind.
That’s not to say I will get a zero score. I have gotten a few dodgy ring muscle ups towards the end of last year, but some tendonitis in my shoulders put a stop to that. I had actually ceased entirely doing muscle up progressions, ring dips and even push ups for two months while dealing with the poor biomechanics that brought on the tendonitis. I am pleased to say that that my shoulders are pretty much fixed, and I reckon I will be able to get a few reps out. I do better under pressure, and this is pressure all right! I really don’t want a zero score.
I’ve already heard of some fantastic results from my mates at Remarkables, three of the guys got through two sets of the muscle ups, one of whom didn’t have them a few days ago! There will be stories of triumph coming out of the thousands of CrossFit boxes worldwide this weekend.
It was dark when I arrived here, but I can smell the sea. And when I wake up tomorrow it's going to be to this view. Aww Yis.
I’m at our family crib in the Catlins now, preparing for the Otago Weightlifting Club Powerlifting Meet tomorrow. That’s why the late post - working gardening, helping at school, packing the gear and then driving five kids (yes five, three of mine and two of their friends) the width of Otago has taken up the entire day.
At school I was helping with unicycling. That’s how cool my kids’ school is - they do unicycling as part of Physical Education. Here’s some photos to take our minds off those muscle ups.
At school I was helping with unicycling. That’s how cool my kids’ school is - they do unicycling as part of Physical Education. Here’s some photos to take our minds off those muscle ups.
That's Number One Son in the red teeshirt being persistent and starting to get the hang of it. Some of the kids figured out it was easier to hold onto each other, and this one kid jumped on the high unicycle and just took off. seriously, he cycled round and round happy as. it was amazing.
I'll update this after I've tried it out on Monday evening. Watch my Instagram and my Facebook page for updates on the powerlifting tomorrow!
What do you think of 15.3? Can you do ring muscle ups? Are you going to for the first time this weekend?
What do you think of 15.3? Can you do ring muscle ups? Are you going to for the first time this weekend?
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