The final week of the 2021 CrossFit Games Open is already here and the worldwide competition is going to end with TWO separately scored workouts. Take a look at them below and wrap your brain around the madness that is workouts 21.3 and 21.4!
First, let’s talk about 21.3:
Athletes will be looking to complete 45 reps of both front squats AND thrusters. That’s 90 reps of squatting with a moderate weight in the front rack position, which is a lot of reps! That’s without even taking into account the required work on the pull-up rig! Being asked to do 30 TTB, in a workout is a lot for some. Thirty chest-to-bar pull-ups is a lot of others. And truthfully, only the very competitive CrossFit athlete will be able to come close to complete 30 bar muscle-ups, specifically at the end of a piece like this. (As your grip and upper body fatigue more and more, the movement on the rig becomes more and more challenging. That’s a brutal combo!) Keep your heart rate under control through steady barbell work and keep yourself moving through short and consistent sets on the rig. That will be the best approach for most athletes!
Now, let’s address 21.4:
I think most athletes should give themselves at LEAST 1-2 minutes of actual rest after 21.3 before even considering taking their first attempt at this complex. View this as if it were an olympic weightlifting meet. Your first attempt should be one that you KNOW you’re able to hit. Keep in mind, very few athletes have ever completed a heavy 4 rep complex after a 15 minute workout with 90 squats and 90 reps from the pull-up rig. Be more conservative than you think on your first attempt, then build up from there. BE AGGRESSIVE on those reps. POWERFUL hip drive UP! AGGRESSIVE pull UNDER the bar! TIGHT CORE as your legs drive to a full stand. SPEEDY punch UNDER the bar for the jerk. Believe you CAN make the lift before you even approach the bar.
My strategy video is below, and I really hope it helps some of you our there! Thank you tuning in for another year of them.
As always: Good Luck, Have Fun, I Believe In You!
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