WOD 6 -- The Chipper:
Individuals:
The individual chipper is a fairly brutal event which is surprisingly taxing on the shoulders. Keep in mind that this workout doesn't really start until you pick up the axle, so do not get overconfident leading up to this final leg of the workout. This workout will be won by minimizing transition time on the shoulder-to-overhead and grinding it out to finish the lunges as close to unbroken as possible. In order for this to happen, a game plan must be in place for the other components of the WOD.
1) Double-unders -- There isn't too much to say about 100 double-unders. If you cannot perform these unbroken and quickly at this stage in the game then you have bigger problems to worry about. These should be relaxed and steady; you don't need to jump rope faster than the competition, but you do need to be able to stay relaxed through all 100 reps. Stay light in the feet and spin from the wrists, not the arms. Do not tense up your shoulders here, you will need them later.
2) HSPU -- These are probably not worth doing unbroken unless you are built like Dan Bailey or Kris Clever, and I would even tell the two of them to break these reps up. I highly recommend kipping here. Furthermore, I recommend a deep-style kip where the hip fully closes and spine rolls down away from the wall slightly. This style of kip will not be much slower in the long run than other styles and it will tire you out much less. The more you can save your shoulders here, the better. Once again, stay steady through this section and break it up as needed. It is much better to have a couple reps in the tank than to hit failure and stare at the wall. For those who are proficient with HSPU opening with 15 or 20, then doing a set of 15, and then ending with two final sets will be the way to go here. For those who struggle with HSPU, aim for sets of 10 if possible or go for quick sets of 5. The transition between sets is fairly small for HSPU, so do not be afraid to kick off and rest for a second. This WOD is NOT a sprint like last year's Diane.
3) T2B -- Keep your kip tight and your hands light on T2B. The goal here is to save the shoulders and the forearms. There is very little inherent transition time when on the pull-up bar, so you can break up the T2B into fast, smaller sets if need be. Most athletes will want to go for 3 or even 4 sets here, something along the lines of 15/15/10 or 15/10/10/5. Do not rest a lot while doing T2B as you will naturally rest when transitioning to the shoulder-to-overhead. An easy way to naturally regulate your rest time when dropping from the bar is to turn around, take a deep breath, and jump back up facing the other direction.
4) Axle S2OH -- This is where the workout actually begins. The hard part here is not necessarily the shoulder-to-overhead, but instead holding the front rack while the shoulders are already tired. For starters, absolutely 100 percent perform a push jerk for every rep. There is no reason to push press or strict press here, it will only make your lunges much harder when you will need the stamina to finish. Over-exaggerate the jerk; drive under the bar hard and punch through with the shoulders/elbows. I highly recommend limiting yourself to quick sets of 5 here with maybe a single set of 10 to open up. Picking the bar up and performing the reps is not necessarily the hard part, it is holding the front rack for the following lunge. If the lunge was not a component of the workout, then it would be more worth holding onto the bar here.
5) The lunge -- The workout is almost over, but this is unfortunately the hardest part of the WOD. A perfectly vertical front-rack position should be the goal, it will make the lunges much easier if you focus on this rigidity. Keep the core tight at all times, drive hard through the heel of the front foot to stand up each time. Treat the lunge itself almost like a split jerk, the feet should have some separation between them width-wise to prevent imbalance and potentially losing the bar. This is a gut check, stay tough and finish it out. This WOD could come down to seconds, and athletes who go unbroken on the lunge will be able to make up some time on their competition.
General points:
- Hand protection of some kind is highly recommended for the T2B to prevent tearing for the final workout
- Do not go to failure on HSPU -- kipping is essential
- Stay relaxed on DU and T2B, save energy for the axle
- The axle should be light enough that a strongman-style axle clean is not necessary, but weaker athletes can utilize this technique
- Quick sets of 5 on the S2OH will be ideal for most athletes due to the following lunge
- Push jerk every rep, don't be a meathead
- A belt may help with upright posture in the S2OH and especially the lunge, but keep it loose until you get there
- Weightlifting shoes are recommended -- the axle movements are too pivotal to not consider wearing them
- The axle will make the front-racked lunge much harder than a regular barbell, make sure you practice with a thicker implement somehow in training
Teams:
The team version of this WOD will require good communication and smooth transitions. The hardest part of the workout is supporting the bar in the front rack while both partners work on the S2OH and the lunge. For this reason, anything that can save the athletes' shoulders without losing too much time is highly recommended. The DU should be performed unbroken but relaxed. When moving onto HSPU, it is not a bad idea to transition frequently here unless there is a large disparity in HSPU ability between the teammates. Frequent transitions will help save the shoulders and do not require that much time (kicking off the wall and back on costs about 3 seconds). Sets of 10 or fast sets of 5 will be okay for teammates with equal HSPU, with teammates alternating 10 and 5 reps respectively if there is a disparity in HSPU ability. The T2B can also be done in fast sets of 10 as the transition time here is very similar to HSPU. Most importantly, keep the grip light and utilize a tight, gymnastics-style kip on T2B to save the shoulders. When athletes get to the axle, take a few deep breaths and make sure you communicate with your teammate. The goal is to minimize time spent in the front rack while also minimizing rest. Most teams will want to break the S2OH up into sets of 5 right from the beginning, but teams who are particularly strong overhead can open with 10 reps. Once you hit the lunge, dig deep and finish. Aim for a perfectly vertical front rack position with a tight core. This final piece really depends on the guy being able to maintain the lead, so make sure they are confident and have practiced the lunge enough.
General points:
- DU must be unbroken and relaxed
- HSPU should be broken up into smaller sets with fast transitions from one team member to the next -- minimize the amount of time spent in the handstand position
- T2B should be broken up into smaller sets as well -- since the transition is fast there is no reason to tax the shoulders excessively here
- Sets of 5 on the S2OH will be ideal for most teams -- open with 10 if you are extremely confident overhead
- Push jerk every rep, don't be a meathead
- Gut it out to finish the front-racked lunge, the workout is almost over here
WOD 7 -- Rope Climb/Clean:
Individual:
The final event is a variation of the rope climb/c&j workout from the Games two years ago. Athletes who have done this workout will remember the effect on grip strength in the later rounds. The main thing will be confidence in the rope climbs so that the arms do not get overused. For squat cleans, perfectly vertical torso and confidence receiving in the bottom will be essential for speed on these reps.
1) The rope climbs -- A J-hook style of climb is highly recommended here, utilizing a full wrap is much slower and requires more focus. The rope climbs should be fast but not rushed, if you need an extra second at the bottom then take it. This WOD will be won on the cleans and not necessarily by having the fastest rope climbs. Speed on the way up is important, but speed coming back down is even more important. Learn how to descend quickly by loosening the legs and "walking down" with the hands. Stay focused and come down under control, a no-rep on rope climbs is too costly to come back from typically.
2) The "Sprint" -- I put this in quotations because there is no real reason for it to ever be a sprint (except maybe in the last round). Take this as your opportunity to mentally reset and prepare for the next set of cleans or climbs.
3) The cleans -- This is where the top competitors will edge ahead of the other athletes. A technically sound clean with a full bounce out of the bottom is crucial here. Athletes who must power clean and then front squat will be wasting far too much time and energy to be competitive. After extension is reached, drive aggressively under the bar and let your butt bounce off of your calves. Couple this use of the stretch-shortening cycle with an aggressive drive of the shoulders up through the bar and a perfectly vertical torso. To ensure the best cleans, weightlifting shoes are recommended for this WOD unless you use the Reebok CrossFit shoes. The only reason the Reebok Oly shoes are not recommended is because the heel can get caught on the ropes due to its design. Touch-and-go cleans after the opening round are typically not going to be worthwhile as they will make the subsequent rope climbs extremely difficult. Fast, controlled singles will be the most efficient way to perform these reps.
General points:
- J-hook style of rope climb is ideal
- Focus on descending quickly but maintaining control near the bottom to avoid any no-reps
- Take the 100m run as a mild jog to reset and relax before the cleans/climbs
- Wear Oly shoes unless you have the Reebok CrossFit brand (the heel can catch the rope)
- A belt is not recommended unless you have extreme difficulty tightening your core -- it will inhibit breathing and this is the last WOD of the weekend
- Singles on cleans will be ideal, except touch-and-go on the opening round can get you ahead of the pack
Teams:
The team version of this WOD relies on understanding the individual strengths of your teammates. The opener needs to be fast and confident while your anchor needs to be the best when averaging the two movements involved. The same strategies as the individual version apply, but there are a few more general points to address.
General points:
- The physically weakest team member should go first, even if they have good rope climbs -- the cleans are the harder part of the workout and all athletes must do the same number of climbs anyways
- The most proficient athlete at cleans should perform the final leg of the workout, unless that athlete happens to be particularly bad at rope climbs -- the additional cleans may cause them to struggle even more on the climbs
- For most teams, physically weakest to strongest will be the best order
- Make sure you sprint to the finish mat so that the next athlete in line can begin as soon as possible
Hopefully these strategy posts have been useful in figuring out a game plan for these Regional events. After the first Regional is over, I will be writing up an analysis of findings and looking at the numbers. Any questions can always be emailed to me at justin@trainedwright.com. Best of luck to all competitors!
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