Just like that all of our hopes and dreams are crushed with one number. 14.5 Again. All week I heard about how there was going to be a max lift or no repeat workout or box jumps or the ring muscle up. Instead we get the repeat of the very first Open workout for time. Two years ago I gave some tips for this workout and I standby most of what I said then. You can check that blog out here. However there are four quick things I would tell you to take a look at that aren't stated in that blog and may be different from what I thought two years ago:
1- How you do the burpee does matter but there's not one way that works best for every person. Different segment links or different weight or different height all plays a role in determining the most efficient way to complete the burpees. I loved how Rich did his with a one hop and spin before every single burpee. However, if you're aerobic capacity isn't very high that's not going to be a very effective method for you. Furthermore, if you're a taller athlete trying to move through burpee's like a shorter athlete like Rich is only going to end with you laying on the ground longer then you planned on. Practice the burpee, find the most efficient yet least metabolically taxing method, and stick to it. If you want to increase the pace and maybe increase to a faster method save that for the 9–6–3.
2- Take half a second at the top of every single thruster. Resting on your chest or anywhere else besides overhead will ultimately tax your body more than is necessary and will inhibit your breathing. Secondly, taking that half second pause at the top will ensure you stay away from any potential no reps while at the same time keeps your pacing consistent and manageable. Also, be sure to widen your feet just a hair to a good solid squat stance in order to allow you to leverage the elasticity of your hip flexor and the ligaments and tendons in your joints. This will make the squat piece of the thruster a little less taxing. A narrow, pulling stance is not going to allow for the best use of this elasticity during the eccentric and resulting concentric portions of the thruster.
3- Warmup for this workout is relatively simple.
Mobilize your front rack by smashing your tricep, lats, and pecs. Also, work through your wrist mobility with some banded distraction work. After your front rack, mobilize your hips and squat BUT don't work too much flexibility before the workout. You want some of the elastic strength found in your squatting muscles that comes when they tighten during movement.
Secondly, move through a general movement warmup that highlights the necessary movement patterns for this workout. Here's my suggestion.
3 Rounds: 8 Hand Release Pushups, 8 KB Push Press Each Arm, 8 Goblet Squats, 15 DU
Warming up you want to get your heart rate just a hair above what it will be for the majority of the workout. What you don't want is a delayed, sluggish start to your workout as you try to get your heart rate up to your working intensity. Get your heart rate up just before starting the workout. You also want to do that using the movements you will be completing during the workout. Here's how I would do that:
3-4 rounds: 10 Sec Max Cal Assault Bike, 8 Barbell Thrusters AFAP (increase load over the rounds to prescribed weight), 8 fast bar-facing burpees AFAP. Rest 60 sec
4- Don't Avoid Pain. Everyone loves to use the word "pace" on this workout but what they fail to realize is that you have to push that very fine line between redline and manageable intensity. I'm going to be a little different here and tell you to push your threshold just a hair. Everyone else around the world is going to say be careful and don't go too fast. I agree with that assessment. However, what I most often see is athletes who are too cautious the first time around and as a result leave valuable seconds on the table for the sake of not "burning out." The worst thing you can do is go to slow, finish the work out, and know you had more to give. Don't go too hard but too conservative on this workout will be the difference in 50th and 200th.
I love the throwback and I love that Castro made us all look like terrible guessers. I also love that he saved the most pain for last. Enjoy this one. Good luck! One more to go.