Crush the Open: Tips, Strategies, and Best Practices

By: Marcos Hernandez

For the second time in 2019, it’s time for the CrossFit Open! Once a week, for the next five weeks, we will be hosting the workout on Saturday mornings.

Some of you have done the Open before and for some of you this is your first time. The points made on this post, even if you've heard them before, are things you should keep in mind with the addition of a potentially longer/harder/more complex workout once a week.

The first thing to keep in mind is the adjustment to your training schedule. If you plan on being here on Saturday mornings, take off Friday. This isn’t a suggestion or something to consider, rather a direct request that is in your best interest as an athlete. This means a full rest day, excluding soft tissue work and stretching. That way you can come in here and give the workout your best shot Saturday morning. This advice applies if you’re planning on doing the Open WOD on another day besides Saturday as well - take the day before as a rest.

Another benefit of the rest, in addition to making sure you are fresh for game day, is it gives any nagging issues a chance to heal. There are a lot of people who come in multiple times per week with dings and dents they are dealing with and we are happy to make modifications. But, with the Open, a rest day the day before the workout will keep you from re-aggravating an issue/injury or making it worse. If the announced workout might turn your minor issue into a large one then talk to a coach and we can help you decide the best course of action for that particular week.

With regards to planning your normal week of workouts, little if any modification should be required outside of the Friday rest day. If you normally train 4+ days per week, hit 3-4 workouts between Monday – Thursday, take Friday off, then hit it hard on Saturday. Sunday can be a rest or active recovery day (hike / bike / jog / swim / yoga, etc.), ideally at a lower intensity and longer duration to help get you ready for the following week. Ultimately the Open should be treated essentially like just another workout, and you should still plan on hitting it hard during the week. Think of the weekly Open WODs as a quick test & snapshot of your current abilities and capacity at this time. Let’s use these workouts as a diagnostic tool, but not let their results massive influence our efforts and focus.

On game day, there’s a good chance a movement will come up that you don’t have/didn’t practice. CrossFit Headquarters creates these workouts, we have no say in what shows up. What that means for you, when a move comes up you haven’t done before, is to take a take a look at the scaled workout and plan to give that your best effort. In the rare chance the movement is something you can learn quickly, then by all means try it out! But if not just remember, the scaled workouts exist for a reason. Don’t opt for a few reps of the Rx workout just to play the leaderboard. We are in here to get a good workout, not to cheat the system and shoot for a higher ranking.

Some other quick basics which are often overlooked but will make a definite impact:

Get a good night’s rest the night before. In bed at a decent hour, shooting for 7-9 hours of sleep
Clean breakfast. The Saturday workout is at 9am, earlier than most people regularly train. Eat something that will be light and easy to digest, preferably earlier 1-2 hours before
Drink plenty of water the day before, and get some electrolytes the morning of (Nuun tablets are a great option)
If you need awhile to get loose, plan on arriving early so you can perform whatever additional soft tissue work & stretching you may need prior to the start of class

Regardless of whether this is your 1st Open or 5th, these are all things you need to consider if you plan on coming in for the workouts. With these strategies at your fingertips, get ready to crush it come game time!

BlogJosh DempseyOctober 10, 2019CrossFit Open, training tips, mindset, Marcos Hernandez