I think I was hitting snooze for the 7th time on New Year’s Day when I decided to have a look at Facebook and see the post that the 2014 Open starts on February 27. EEEEK!!!
If you’re like me, you probably felt your heart rate double instantly and start to think about all the things you need to work on in the next 8 weeks. But seriously, calm down! You’ve put in 10 months of work since the last Open and if you’re new to the game, just relax and have fun with it and see it as your chance to gauge where you are at.
If you are serious about doing well in the Open though, now is definitely the time to make sure your body is firing on all cylinders. This means, if you have any niggles or lingering injuries, NOW is the time to get them checked out and fixed. 8 weeks is not a long time and if you put off getting that niggly shoulder looked at it will leave you with less time to get 100% fit.
Hopefully the start of a new year has motivated you to get stuck into your mobility – I know it’s not as fun at working on muscle ups, snatch or pistols but you need every bit of help you can get! Remember with increased mobility comes increased STRENGTH!!! Don’t let your tight hammies suck up your power people!
Here are my top tips on getting prepared for games season:
1. Take your body into your favourite “mechanic” aka physio, massage therapist, osteopath, chiro, etc. for a tune-up. Make regular appointments from now until the end of the open (if you can afford it – every couple of weeks or at least monthly). This will keep your body from breaking down and you’ll be able to address any issues that come up before they become a major problem.
2. If you have neglected your mobility/stability – get stuck into it now. It’s not too late to make changes if you commit to it. 15 minutes a day is all you need – treat it like a warm up or a cool down. Don’t leave it until you have left the box, it’s easy to get “too busy” to do it once you get home.
MobilizeMe in the App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/mobilizeme/id576108153?mt=8
MobilizeMe in Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hongji&hl=en
3. Book a one-on-one session with your coach to get them to dial in any issues with your technique. Video tape your movements so you can see where you may be going wrong.
4. Make sure you stay hydrated and keep taking your fish oil and magnesium. Get adequate sleep and make sure you are recovering well.
5. Practise the movements that have been included in the last few seasons of the Open and get good at “cycling” them. For example – touch and go snatches/cleans, box jumps, multiple muscle ups/pull ups/chest to bar pull ups, etc. Keep in mind that ANY movement can come up though – so if you suck at something practise it!!
6. Don’t stress too much!!! Stress will increase your cortisol levels which in turn decreases testosterone production. This will have a negative impact on your training. Crossfit is meant to be FUN – remember that!!
Good luck with your preparation! Bring on 14.1!!
Don’t avoid stuff you suck at – it might come up in the Open!!