The first CrossFit Open workout was released on Thursday Feb. 24th. It consisted of 3 handstand wall walks / 12 dumbbell snatches / and 15 box jump overs, for 15 minutes. I performed the workout the next day with other members of the gym. I’m going to share how it felt and provide some tips in case you want to try it on your own!
Firstly make sure you WARM-UP! Your shoulders, legs, triceps, and back, need to be ready for the amount of volume it’s about to get pounded with. Take about 10 minutes to get ready, mobilize the shoulders and break a light sweat with easy movements and some cardio.
How you do the workout is going to depend on why you’re doing the workout and your fitness level. If you are doing the workout as training, movement should be constant. Pick weights and scaled versions you can do continuously for 15 minutes with limited breaks. This will let you reach the proper stimulus for the workout and improve.
If you’re doing the workout to compete, take your time with the movements to limit no reps. The wall walks can become tricky as your midline stability, shoulders, and triceps start to get fatigued. Move on the dumbbell snatches; they should be the quickest part of the workout. Make sure you’re using your lower body to power that dumbbell up as your arms will take a beating from the wall walks. Be careful on the box jumps; it’s mandatory according to the movements standards of this particular workout to step down so if you jump down from the box, that’s a no rep.
I found the handstand wall walks to be the major factor, as they’re something I don’t do in my training. These made the snatches and box jumps (something I’m comfortable with) much more difficult. I didn’t expect it and it hit me like a truck, so be ready for that. Soreness is going to set in the next day if you aren’t prepared for the volume. Spinal erectors, triceps, shins, and shoulders are all areas you can expect to take the hit.
When trying to recover, make sure to move the sore muscles to keep blood flowing. Also try to implement good nutrition and sleep to improve recovery time.
All in all, the first open workout was fun and made even more fun doing it with a good group of people.