Category: CrossFit

The Quick and Dirty on 15.2 (or, the average CrossFitter's guide to 15.2)

9/3/2015

15.2 is a repeat of 14.2. We can expect a repeat in each year of Opens, so you may have done this one before. I had very few chest to bar pull ups last year and was disappointed that it was only going to be a short one for me. It was, with a total of 30 reps and only three minutes long. I've recently, thanks to improved shoulder mobility and some useful coaching, been able to knock out a few more chest to bars recently. Hoping to get a 6 minute workout this time! I'll update here after I've done it. (Update below!) For more specialised guides to 15.2, just plug "tips for 14.2 CrossFit Open" or similar into your favourite search engine.

Read the Standards

Carefully read the workout standards on the CrossFit Games website, Especially the variations (Masters, Scaled etc) that apply to you. Print them off to take with you to be sure everything is correct when you're setting up. Don't be afraid to question your coach if you think they've got something wrong, even they make mistakes! We want to do it right, and get a score with full integrity, Regionals Athlete or not.

Take Care of Your Hands

This will apply to those of you who are going to get more than a handful of pull ups. The scaled versions of this Wod could be worse for your hands than the Rx, as the easier movements may mean you may get a whole lot of reps. Most CrossFitters wear some sort of hand protection such as JAW Grips or Natural Grips. Remove lumpy callouses beforehand and use plenty of chalk for the event.

Warm Up

Don't vary much from your usual warm up routine, as this will help you stay calm and focused. 5-10 mins aerobic movement and dynamic stretching, then get onto warming up for the overhead squat and pull ups. Overhead squats are one of the biggest testers of your mobility in CrossFit. If you've never been able to do one at that weight before, plenty of time easing up to it may mean you get a good PR for this open. Shoulder dislocates, around-the-worlds, wall squats, OHS-ing with a broomstick and gradually putting up the weight will set you up to do something memorable.
To prepare for the pull-ups, whatever variation you are doing, hang from the bar, do hollow rocks, and activate your shoulders. If you're going Rx, do a few rounds of 5 reps light OHS and kipping pull ups. If scaled, do light OHS and one or two chin-over-bar pull ups or jumping pull ups. Rest 5 mins, going over your cues and visualising yourself flying through the workout with ease and grace!

Overhead Squat Cues

If you've been doing CrossFit for more than a few weeks, you'll know where your weaknesses are here. Keeping your shoulders active - that is, armpits and elbows out, squeeze the bar - will help you keep your balance and get that thing up again. Weight on your heels, knees out, hips forward, chest up, head neutral.
If you are confident in your OHS, still take the first few reps slowly to find your rhythm and balance before you start pumping them out. Lifting shoes, if you have them, will significantly help with your stability.

Chest to Bar Hacks

If you've never gotten a chest to bar pull up, or only a few desperate reps, I so understand you! If you've been eyeing up Open workouts from other years, you knew it was coming. Here's a few hacks to try. These are not for regular WoDs and skill work where you should be concentrating on achieving good form! These are just some ideas, well within the rules, that may help you get a few reps out in this competition. Yeah they're awkward, but less awkward than getting no reps at all.

• Do a normal strict pull-up as fast and as far as you can with your knees up, then when almost at the top kick down while yanking up and in with your arms. I managed to get 10 out like this last year with a underhand grip.

• If kipping, try jumping towards the bar. Start a foot or so in front of the bar rather than right under it to help you get momentum with your kip. Hold your whole body tight and think like a rubber band pinging to get up there.

• Switch your grip around. Try one hand underhanded and use that arm to tug your chest towards the bar at the top of the movement. Or try both underhanded if really struggling to get that chest to touch.

• Use boxes or plates. If you have a high bar, set them up on either side of the bar to stand on in between reps so that you're not using any effort more than required to get up there. Movement standard is that your arms must be fully extended at the start of the movement.

• Remember the bar only has to touch below the collarbone, often with thinking 'chest to bar' we frantically try to pull higher than necessary.

• If you've done everything right and still didn't get high enough, you may just need to rest longer before your next attempt. Sucks with the clock ticking, I know, but your body needs to recover enough to be able to do it again.

• This is (for the likes of us!) a max effort movement. Stop, shake your arms out, breathe and think through your plan for getting up there before each attempt. Don't panic. Remember there will be thousands of people around the world attempting to get their first chest to bar or chin over bar pull up this weekend. You're not alone.

The Aftermath

Stretch and roll out your tired bits, just after, later on and again the next day. Cheer on your mates. Maybe you've worked out how to do it better and want to have another go at it, great! Rest a couple of days and try again. No harm in this for those of us for whom it was short.
If you didn't do as well as you wanted, chill out. The overhead squat and whichever variation of pull up you do are actually really difficult things. How many people on the street even try to do what you're doing? You're pretty amazing for showing up and doing it at all. Go you!

Update! (sigh)

Judge Maria, one of my coaches, is chilled, helpful, and eagle eyed.

I did it tonight. Warmed up well, banged out the OHS no problem, did the first 10 C2Bs well, pumped out more OHS easily with a minute to go, then struggled and no-repped through six C2Bs. Not happy with that, but it's such a short workout and my hands are fine so it's not a problem to do it again Monday.
I stayed afterwards and did 2x10 and 2x12 chest to bar pull ups with brief rests in between and very few no-reps. I worked out some more tweaks ready to do better next time. Then did some strict HSPUs and back squat sets, because I wanted to something that wasn't disappointing.

Here's some more tips I figured out with the chest to bar pull ups that I hope may be useful for you:

• We have a high pull up bar where I train so I need a box to get up to the bar anyway. For workouts that matter such as this one, I set up two boxes so that I can jump straight onto the bar, rather than reaching up from the side and having to get centred before starting the rep. You can see in the photos how that works. You could use plates in the same way if your bar is lower but still a big jump for you.

• Tight kip. Hips forward, not legs. Swing back, then bang the hips up to get the chest to bar. If you're just pulling with your arms they will cease to work very soon! Use that kip.

• I found reaching forward to the bar from about a foot away from it effective. To get quicker reps, as I'm doing them only one at a time, I jump forward onto the bar, use that momentum to get a big kip, get chest to bar then drop down and back to land ready for the next rep. Swing arms back, deep breath, go again.

Here's the set up with the boxes for maximum efficiency. I'll be setting them closer together next time.

Pissed face after multiple no reps.

Update on the Update

Did it this evening, 83 reps! Boom! Very pleased with that. Only 1 no-rep. Big improvement for me with my formerly feeble chest-to-bars. Getting some pretty wicked results out of our box too, so proud of my mates who went RX even though they weren't sure they had any C2Bs in them. And they all got some out!

How did you get on? Any more tips to share? I'd love to hear your ideas!

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Update on 15.1

2/3/2015

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I promised an update after re-doing CrossFit Open 15.1 on Monday night. To update you: I decided not to. After doing it on Friday I did a powerlifting set of 5x5 deadlifts at 125kg, and although that felt just fine at the time, I was unusually stiff and sore afterwards. I think it was the combination of the high pressure max effort the Open workouts take, followed by the deadlifts. That stiffness messed up my powerlifting training for a couple of days, and for this year, I've decided powerlifting is my priority. I'll be giving the Open a good effort, but not so far as to interfere with my powerlifting training. That will likely mean only doing the Open workouts once instead of twice like I normally would. My first powerlifting competition as a fully paid up, official member of the New Zealand Powerlifting Federation is in Dunedin in less that two weeks - eeeeek excited! - and I want to do well at that.
I still had a big session at the box judging and cheering on my Remarkables CrossFit buddies tonight. Even though being a judge is nerve wracking, I love the intense concentration it takes, like getting 'flow'. And it's pretty cool to be up close and involved when someone gets a personal best lift.
My friend Dini took some photos of our Friday night Open session, thanks Dini!

"3. 2. 1...." Ravid, me and Danimal wired and ready. You can see here my hack for dealing with a very high bar - jumping off two boxes means I can stay straight and drop down slightly to achieve full extension at the start of each set, rather than jumping up.

15.1 is followed straight after by 15.1A - 1 rep max clean and jerk. Here's my clean at 76kg....

15.1 is 9 minutes of as many rounds as possible of 15 toes to bar, 10 deadlifts and 5 snatches at 34kg. Here's about halfway through on the deadlifts, being judged by Remarkables CrossFit Head Coach and owner Bruce.

And a successful jerk. Done. Danimal, with his back to the camera, got 100kg.

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The Quick and Dirty on 15.1

2/3/2015

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The CrossFit Open is actually here. I did it and judged it last night, and have been reading up other people's recommendations. Links to articles about how to do 15.1 from people who know more than me are at the end.
I got 133 reps for 15.1, and got 65kg then 76kg clean and jerk, then cleaned but failed to jerk 80kg. My toes-to-bar are a bit lacking, but I'm delighted with the 80kg clean personal best. I think I'll have another go at it Monday night, I'll update this after that.

Image pinched from The CrossFit Games Facebook page

1. Have a plan.

Choose a number of rounds to go for for 15.1 and figure out what pace you will need to do to get that. For example, if you are aiming for 5 rounds, you will have 1:48 per round.
Know your 1 rep max clean and jerk so you can have a clue about how what to attempt in this situation. Choose a weight you know you can do under fatigue for your first lift and lay out the plates for this and your other lifts ready. Decide before the workout starts how much rest you will take before your first attempt, and how many attempts you will do. Around three attempts if you have lifted heavy under competitive situations like this, maybe more if you have no idea how you might preform.

2. Warm up.

If you have a general warm up routine that you are familiar with, go with that. Around 10 mins aerobic movement and dynamic stretches, and warm up and flex those forearms. Work up to 80-90% of your first attempt clean and jerk. Do a few short, paced sets of toes to bar, deadlifts and snatches, concentrating on good form. Rest 5-10 mins before starting.

3. Think sharp.

Get enough sleep and good food beforehand. If you're nervous, feel the nervous energy and it's effect on your body, and focus that into excitement. Imagine yourself doing the workout well and smoothly. While you're resting in the minutes before, visualise and feel doing each movement with perfect form.
If you get to the middle of it and feel that things aren't going well, banish any negative thought. Remind yourself that it's supposed to be hard. Know that your buddies alongside you are feeling the same pain. Stay focused on your plan and your good form.

4. 15.1

If your wheelhouse is metcons, go hell for leather, but break up the TTB earlier than you feel like so that you don't blow out your grip. If you're a lifter, settle into a good, steady pace on the toes-to-bar and the lighter lifting and set yourself up for success on the 1 RM clean and jerk by finishing the first part without being spent.
You have a built in rest with each transition, use those seconds to breathe and refocus. Do the deadlifts and snatches unbroken if you can. Shift your grip around on the deadlift if your forearms are burning.

5. 15.1A

You have the time you will rest already planned. Get your weights ready and watch the clock. Again, imagine doing the lift, reminding yourself of the cues you'll need, such as 'keep the bar close' 'fast elbows' 'squeeze the bar'.
If you're the extrovert type and your box mates are cheering you on, consciously feed off their energy. If you do better without a crowd, face away from them and focus on your own body.
You will have planned the weights for your first lift so that you won't fail. Do the lift, be happy that you have a score on the board, then get your next weight ready and take your prescribed rest. If you fail a lift, don't rush another attempt. Just do the same weight again at the time you would take the next lift.

6. Recover

Wow you did it! It was hard right? Good. That's the point. Stretch, eat, cheer on your mates who are doing it and celebrate what you did well. There will be something you've learned you need to work on, so make a specific plan for how to improve rather that beating yourself up about it. Do it again if you really want to, if you have enough time to recover from the first one. Make sure you get your score in, then get on with your life in between all the leaderboarding that you'll do over the next five weeks!

Rich Froning and Matt Fraser go head to head at yesterday's live Open announcement. Image from The CrossFit Games' Facebook page.

To read the advice of people who know more than me:

The movement standards from The CrossFit Games
Lots of writers From the Tabata Times
Amanda Allen writing for the Rx Review
Talayna Fortunato writing for WoD Superstore

And you can ask for tips from your coaches, your mates and your favourite search engine.
Have fun!

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Interview: Ruth Anderson Horrell, New Zealand's Fittest Woman

26/2/2015

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Part of my plan for this blog is to talk to people who have inspired me. People who are driven to overcome the hard stuff to becoming the best they can be, who follow their passion and push the limits of their potential.

If you’ve taken an interest in competitive CrossFit on any level in New Zealand, you will have heard of Ruth Anderson Horrell. She’s unarguably New Zealand’s best CrossFit Athlete, having gone to The Games in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and last year won the Battle of the Fittest, New Zealand's premier CrossFit competition, with six first place finishes out of eight events.

Shoulder to Overhead movement at the Wellington Cup, August 2014. Ruth was part of the International All Star team of her, Lucas Parker, Lauren Fisher and Wes Piatt.

I got to know Ruth when she was my coach at CrossFit Invercargill and CrossFit Wild South in 2013 and 2014. When I was back in Invercargill for the Southern Crusade, I had a chat with Ruth about some specifics of her training and mindset that I wanted to know about.

What is your morning routine on a normal training day?

I usually get up at 6am if I’m coaching or 6:30 if not. For breakfast I’ll have a green smoothie, scrambled eggs and coffee with coconut oil. I’ll start training about 10am. On heavy lifting days I’ll usually do the lifting first, some days gymnastic skill work, then a WoD. I fit my business work around everything else, and that usually takes about 5 hours a day.

You are a world-class CrossFit athlete even though you mostly work out by yourself in a small CrossFit box in a small city at the bottom of the world. What systems do you have in place to keep your skills sharp and to keep motivated?

My coach is Dusty Hyland who is based at Dogtown CrossFit in Los Angeles. We have a private Facebook group, just the two of us, in which I send him videos of my movements and get feedback. He makes sure my gymnastic movements are as good as possible. Also to keep improving myself I video my training pretty much everyday and review it each evening. This is what allows me to train at international level, but really it’s no different to how I would train if I wasn’t at that level. I don’t have that constant comparison to other elite athletes but at the competitions I go to I use the opportunity to test myself against top Crossfitters, and see which movements maybe I need to work on.

Ruth at the top of a bar muscle up at the Wellington Cup, August 2014

You've faced some injury challenges in the past few months - an issue with your elbow that almost needed surgery, and recently a snapped thumb extensor tendon that did get surgery. How have these affected your mindset?

The elbow didn’t actually effect my mindset as I only had to avoid certain movements for a short time. I was disappointed on missing out on the Schwartz’s Challenge competition in Melbourne though.

With the thumb I don’t think it has affected me as the injury itself wasn’t painful. It was the immobilising part of having surgery has been frustrating. I can’t do anything much for two weeks, and that’s been hard. I can’t get going with rehab, like you normally would with an injury, so mentally thats been tough. The splint came off Tuesday, I hope can still do the open. I have been doing a lot of legs!

Do you have a internal monologue - that voice that chatters on in your head? Do you control it? What does it say?

Yeah I suppose, there’s a voice in my head during a workout, saying things like “come on, keep going, don’t put the bar down!” And I use it more when taking a rest, saying things like “I gotta get back into it”. Sometimes with certain things I imagine there’s someone beside me, for example when I’m pulling a sled I’ll imagine someone else doing it racing me, which helps me push harder.

Ruth on the rower, Wellington Cup

Who are some people that have influenced you positively, and what have you learned from them?

Well just recently there’s a guy called Brad Davidson who runs Stark Training in Orange County in California. He’s my nutrition protocol, supplement protocol, volume of training and rest/recovery man. If there’s any questions about anything going on with my body he’s my first port of call. I’ve never met him in person but have skyped and I’ve listened to heaps of his podcasts. Every time I listen to him I’m so impressed by just how much he knows.

A long time ago I had a meeting with a guy called Cliff Harvey, a holistic performance nutritionist from Auckland. He knows a lot about sports psychology, training, and nutrition, and he’s a very inspiring person. I just spent an afternoon with him four or five years ago but that’s been a huge help to me.

The constant support of my family and friends keeps me going day to day. I could never do this on my own if the people around me were not supporting what I’m trying to achieve.

I’ve met heaps of amazing athletes and coaches so its hard to pinpoint one. My movement coach is Jules Burgemeestre, who is based in Melbourne. He’s a guru on human movement. He helped me with my thoracic spine injury in 2013, which was the hardest injury I’ve had to deal with because of the chronic pain. He knows how to fix any movement problem, and he’s inspiring way that he lives.

Dusty Hyland inspired me many years ago when I attended his CrossFit Gymnastic certificate. I have been so lucky to work one on one with him, he helps me not only with my gymnastics and CrossFit, but with my life in general. Dusty understands the mental side of competition and training having been a high level gymnast himself.

The truth is so many people have infleunced me, I'm willing to learn from anyone who is willing to teach.

Ruth and friends, training in L.A. - see any famous faces?

Thanks very much for your time and insights Ruth, and all the best with the Open, especially with a gammy thumb!

Check out her website, you can download a free weekend competition guide and buy cool workout gear, such as the Just Another Wod range - Ruth is NZ's exclusive JAW supplier.

Facebook Athlete Page here (nutrition tips, competition and training news, and cute animals among other interesting stuff. She's also a small animal veterinarian, btw!)
Instagram here (lots of clips of Ruth training)

Ruth is grateful for the support of Again Faster, Primal Life, Just Another WOD, Rocktape NZ and Sportsmed Physio.

Who inspires you? In what way? Is there someone else you would like me to interview? Who? Comment below!

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The Southern Crusade

19/2/2015

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Held at CrossFit Wild South, Sunday 15th February 2015

Photo by http://alex-und-oki-auf-weltreise.weebly.com/5-invercargill-bis-te-anau.html

The golden Plate was up for grabs again when CrossFit Wild South hosted the Southern Crusade competition at their box in Invercargill. I started CrossFit in Invercargill in the way back when(2012-13) and it was good to be back and catch up with everybody.
I was there with a few of my Remarkables CrossFit buddies - Adam, Clint, Mel and I were in the Rx section and Carly and Danny G were in scaled, with coach Bruce and his wife Taryn in support.
They released the movement standards a couple of weeks before the competition but the WoDs were a mystery until the day. First one, starting just after 8am, was a 3km run around the estuary. Running is not so much my thing and I came in 8th out of the 12, but Clint and Danny G both won their sections. Maybe I was enjoying the scenery a bit much - I saw a Kotuku, or white heron, on the estuary as well as other birds. I used to go on bike rides with my kids around there and it's beautiful.

My mate Ange from Massage Therapy Works was set up the mezzanine with her massage table. After spending some time with her magic hands, a good feed and some rest I was keen for the third WoD. And it's beauty:

50 Double unders
40 Burpees (time taken here as WoD 3 results)
30 Toes to bar
20 Power snatches 35kg
10 Handstand push ups to abmat
5 Rope climbs

We had around two hours until the next WoD: 21-15-9 45kg cleans and pull-ups. My training buddy Mel was right behind me on the lifting strip. It was intense but not long enough to be completely exhausting - that'll come later. You can see in the pic to the left that a the start of the 15s I'm first back to the bar but Heather from CrossFit Cromwell (red singlet) is only one rep behind. At the end she bet me by one second.

In the meantime the scaled divisions did their final WoD: 100 air squats, 50 bar hops, 40 burpees, 30 overhead plate sit-ups, 40 kettlebell swings, 50 calorie row, 100ft plate overhead walking lunge. Ow! Would definitely rather do the Rx, that scaled one will screw with your head! Danny G and Carly slogged through it bravely.

I love competing. I suppose it's because I grew up with three brothers in a sporty family. Standing out there, waiting for the countdown for the final WoD, I'm in my happy place.

The Southern Crusade HQ

The first part went well, only one break with the double unders even though I had chosen to wear my lifting shoes. I got though the burpees with an even pace. With the toes to bar I took one at a time, steadily if not swiftly, and got onto one of my favourite movents, snatches. I stormed though, although was thinking at the time I need to learn how to do them touch and go. As it is I drop the bar, then take more time than necessary steadying and re-gripping the bar for each rep. I could have done the handstand push ups better as I had almost as many no-reps for coming off the wall as good reps. More practice needed there.

Rope climbs during

Rope climbs after

There's this 5kg bumper plate, the "Golden Plate" that is the prize fought for when CrossFit boxes from our part of the country meet up to compete. The winner is judged on each box's top three athletes' scores. As it turned out, there was a tie between CrossFit Gore and CrossFit Queenstown. Anissa from Gore and Olga from Queenstown were put forward by their teammates for a mystery tiebreaker. Glad I wasn't either of them when the tiebreaker was announced: two minutes airdyne for calories! Oh, the pain faces. Olga won out and Queenstown took home the golden plate. Wonder how long they can keep it? I'll be doing my best to make it short! Watch out next time, CrossFit Queenstown...

Spectators favourite was last of all: the rope climbs. They're a tricky thing in competition, even once you have the hang of how to do it. You need to be able to make the judgment call about how much to rest in between climbs. You need to take enough time so you can get all the way up the rope without overtaxing to failure and having to come down, but without wasting any time while your competitors are getting on with it. I *think* I made good judgements about the rests in between. It seemed like such a long time, shaking out my arms, controlling my breathing and steeling up for the jump to start climbing. Increasingly feeble jumps too, as my tank emptied and I pushed myself more than I ever have before to get to the top. While women around me scuttled up and down and the crowd screamed encouragement, the most important thing in the world was getting up that rope. I did it, I got up there to touch the ceiling beam five times. The last two were so slow, inching up mainly with my arms, as my core was blown and I couldn't lift my feet up high to get good distance with each pull on the rope. I finished third, six seconds behind Rebecca from CrossFit Dunedin and around forty seconds slower than Janine from Wild South who was in the first heat.
I collapsed on the ground, then stumbled to the corner to lie down with Rebecca and gasp and groan.

Ever had that feeling where your arms are just so painful that you want to cut them off and throw them far away? That's how it feels. But I was also also elated, partly because it's over, but mostly because I've done something really hard and done it well alongside the best of them.

In a fitting end to a CrossFit competition, the Invercargill Medieval Club did a demonstration of actual sword fighting with actual swords in actual armour that they had actually made themselves. Cool as.

Our Adam did us proud with his second place in the Rx guys. He's a relative newbie to CrossFit, but with a solid karate background, an intense, deliberate training program and the smartest head under pressure I know, he's one to watch. Tim from Dunedin won the mens' Rx and Daniel from Wild South came in third.

Rebecca of Dunedin, Heather and Olga took first, second and third in my grade. They are all amazing athletes, who train hard and train smart. It is good to see womens' CrossFit in Otago and Southland with a high and continuously improving standard. In the scaled womens', Louise and Rachel from CrossFit Queenstown got first and third, with CrossFit Alexandra's Sonya in second.

I would be lying if I said forth place didn't sting though. I had a sulk to myself for a couple of hours afterwards. But then I remembered that my mediocre result in the run, which dragged my overall score down, is a reflection of my decision to train in powerlifting. I knew when I started concentrating on the deadlift, squat and benchpress that my running wouldn't improve and possibly slow down. To be a good powerlifter and a good runner would take being a full-time athlete, and I'm not! In another competition, the WoDs may fall more in my favour.

I'm proud of my mates at Remarkables. They got in there guts and all. It's heartening to compete alongside friends. Congratulations Wild South for hosting such a smooth-running, exciting event. Next the Open!

Click here to see a time-lapse of the event made by Wild South's Mr Tech, Doug.

Were you there? What was you favourite thing to do or to watch? What was the hardest? Comment below!

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Forward>>

The Quick and Dirty on 15.2 (or, the average CrossFitter's guide to 15.2)

Read the Standards

Take Care of Your Hands

Warm Up

Overhead Squat Cues

Chest to Bar Hacks

The Aftermath

Update! (sigh)

Update on the Update

Update on 15.1

The Quick and Dirty on 15.1

Interview: Ruth Anderson Horrell, New Zealand's Fittest Woman

The Southern Crusade

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