14.1

2/28/14 - Friday

Conditioning: 10 min AMRAP of 30 double unders and 15 power snatches (75/55lbs)
EMOM 8 min: 3 TnG power clean + power jerk (no pause on shoulders), begin 155/105lbs, small build if perfect
Conditioning: 60 calorie row, 50 GHD sit-ups, 40 wall ball, 30 C2B, 20 T2B, 10 burpees

14.1

Most, if not all of you, have done this workout before.  We just did it in training a few weeks ago.  There is not a whole lot of strategy to it.  

Warm-up should consist of 5-10 min aerobic work followed by some shoulder and hip opening mobility and the Crossover Symmetry.  Then get back to some aerobic work to warm back up if you have cooled down.  Arm and leg swings plus whatever your typical routine consists.  Movement specific warm-up.  Hit a round and change to feel it out.  Calm down, then go.

Double unders smooth with as little shoulder and arm fatigue as possible.  Stay relaxed.  If you have a chance to get back to the rope at the end of your 10 minutes, kill yourself to get there.  Double under reps accumulate VERY quickly.

Power snatches, not muscle snatches, in very controlled unbroken sets or breaks in to 8/7 and MAYBE some 5/5/5 towards the end.  You will absolutely blow up if you muscle snatch these reps.  Don't be that person.

10 rounds is 1 per minute.

9 rounds is 1 per minute and 6 seconds.

8 rounds is 1 per 75 seconds or minute and 15 seconds.
7 rounds is 1 per minute and 25 seconds.
6 rounds is 1 per minute and 50 seconds.

Keep those pacing standards in mind for what you have planned.

All that strategy is pretty straightforward.  You all have done a million workouts like this.  It is going to be a good time.  What I think is more important for this FIRST open workout is a simple fact and also mental preparation. 

The simple fact: the first Open workout will have the highest participation of any other Open workout.  It is the same every year.  What does this mean?  It means that one rep means a lot more on this workout than just about any other time.  One rep could move you hundreds of places.  So this needs to be your best performance if you are trying to qualify individually.  You need to bring it.

The mental prep can be broken down in to two phases of before and during.  Before the workout you need to reach the optimal level of excitement.  This will be different for everyone, but with these two skilled movements the optimal level will be lower than your typical grunt work workout.  So get to your level of focus before the workout, and then go over the pertinent cues for this specific workout (smooth, hips, get back under the bar).

This particular 10 minute workout, like almost all other workouts, can be broken down in to a few phases:

1) "The beginning is a time to take the most care."  Begin the workout at 80% knowing that you are going to be in the trenches for 10 minutes.  Smooth is fast, etc.

2) Beginning to about minute 5 should be focused on maintaining efficiency and staying cool, calm, and collected.  Breathing and heart rate begin to increase, but stay focused.

3) Minutes 5-8 are all about forgetting the suck.  You've had a training season leading up to this.  This is exactly the 3 or 4 minutes you've worked so hard to prepare for, so push through them.

4) Final minute or two are about finishing strong.  Everyone sprints to the finish.  You are just going to have to sprint harder.

Simple workout.  Just stay efficient!

P.S. - I have some follow-up emails in to some of you for more specific warm-up or strategy tips, but this is the main thrust.  Good luck!