Masters Qualifier Strategies and Suggestions

**THIS WILL BE AN EVOLVING DOCUMENT, PLEASE CONTINUE TO CHECK BACK AS WE CONTINUE TO UPDATE STRATEGIES AND SUGGESTIONS.**

WOW!!! Great workouts for all of our Masters Athletes! We promise we didn’t write the workouts, but we sure are happy about the events that are being tested…and we hope you are too. Your training should have you feeling well-prepared and confident to tackle these events.

Just last Monday, April 20th we had you all test your 1-RM Snatch, and we followed that up with a row/thruster/chest-to-bar pull-up conditioning session. We’ve been building over the last four weeks, and for several months prior to that, on muscle-up progressions and muscle-up volume accumulation. You all have put in a lot of time rowing followed by difficult barbell work and gymnastics. We’ve emphasized upper body strength development and accumulated plenty of reps of handstand push-ups.

You are prepared! Now go show the world what you’ve worked so hard to achieve!

Sequence of Events
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN TRAIN THURSDAY NIGHT
THURSDAY
1. Perform Event 2 – Build to your 1-RM Snatch. For each snatch above 95%, please follow the video submission standards.

2. If you feel good after building to your 1-RM Snatch, Perform Event 1 – the 5-minute AMRAP of muscle-ups and cleans.

FRIDAY
1. Perform Event 4 – 21, 15, 9 of deadlift, box jumps and handstand push-ups

REST 4 or more hours, and then…

2. Perform Event 3 – Two rounds of rowing, thrusters and chest-to-bar pull-ups
(Give Event 3 everything you have on the first try; for most of you it will be the only time you tackle this event. Don’t hold back and expect yourself to perform this better on the second attempt.)

SATURDAY
REST AND RECOVER…Do everything you can to get your body recovered – compression, E-stim, circulatory body work, etc…, this is your highest priority today.

SUNDAY
Choose no more than two of the events above, and perform in the order set forth above. If, for example, you believe you need to repeat the 1-RM snatch, perform that first, followed by Event 1 (only if you feel the need to repeat Event 1) OR Event 4 (if you are happy with your Event 1 score and need to focus on Event 4 instead).

MONDAY
Choose no more than two of the events above, and perform in the order set forth above. Assuming you performed one or two of the events above, your options for completing events on Monday would be Event 4 and/or Event 3.
—————–
FOR THOSE STARTING THE EVENTS ON FRIDAY
FRIDAY
1. Perform Event 2 – Build to your 1-RM Snatch. For each snatch above 95%, please follow the video submission standards.

2. If you feel good after building to your 1-RM Snatch, Perform Event 1 – the 5-minute AMRAP of muscle-ups and cleans.

SATURDAY
1. Perform Event 4 – 21, 15, 9 of deadlift, box jumps and handstand push-ups

REST 4 or more hours, and then…

2. Perform Event 3 – Two rounds of rowing, thrusters and chest-to-bar pull-ups
(Give Event 3 everything you have on the first try; for most of you it will be the only time you tackle this event. Don’t hold back and expect yourself to perform this better on the second attempt.)

OR THE ALTERNATIVE SCHEDULE WOULD BE…

1. Only perform Event 4 – 21, 15, 9 of deadlift, box jumps and handstand push-ups

SUNDAY
REST AND RECOVER if you have performed all four events. If you’re taking this as your full recovery day, do everything you can to get your body recovered – compression, E-stim, circulatory body work, etc…, this is your highest priority today.

OR THE ALTERNATIVE SCHEDULE WOULD BE…

1. Perform Event 3 – Two rounds of rowing, thrusters and chest-to-bar pull-ups
(Give Event 3 everything you have on the first try; for most of you it will be the only time you tackle this event. Don’t hold back and expect yourself to perform this better on the second attempt.)

MONDAY
Choose no more than two of the events above, and perform in the order set forth above. If, for example, you believe you need to repeat the 1-RM snatch, perform that first, followed by Event 1 (only if you feel the need to repeat Event 1) OR Event 4 (if you are happy with your Event 1 score and need to focus on Event 4 instead).
—————–

Individual Considerations
Please remember, this packet is my general advice and may vary for each individual. This packet is simply to cover a large bulk of the stuff that will apply to the majority of athletes.  Please do not hesitate to ask me about anything stated in here and how it applies to you.

Please be aware, this packet does not incorporate or take the place of the movement standards videos produced by HQ and published on the CrossFit Games website.  I expect you to watch those videos 2-3 times before competing.  Find them here: https://games.crossfit.com/workouts/masters-qualifier

Event 2
1-RM Snatch

Sequence Considerations
This event should be performed before all others.

Nutrition Considerations
Generally speaking, you want to be satiated going into this event. This event, on its own, doesn’t require heavy breathing or pushing blood out to your extremities, so we would typically want to see you fed prior to the event. But for 99% of you, this event will be performed shortly before tackling a quick paced 5-minute AMRAP. Accordingly, you don’t want to eat too soon before starting Event 2 if you plan to tackle Event 1 immediately after. My suggestion would be that you consume a good, balanced meal 90 minutes to 2 hours before starting in on your 1-RM snatch. Stick with foods that you are used to eating and that are a typical part of your daily regimen. If you feel more anxious than normal due to the competition events, then consider opting for easier to digest foods – like purees, mashed foods, ground meats, scrambled eggs, etc….

And remember, you are not trying anything new in competition.  If it doesn’t feel perfect, stick to what you know.  Comfort and routine should take precedence here.

Equipment Considerations
You want to perform this just like you always would. If you typically wear weightlifting shoes, knee sleeves and a belt, then by all means do so now. Don’t try something new just for the sake of the competition.

Video Considerations
Once you build to 90-95%, start videotaping every lift with your full introduction. It’ll be a small hassle, but worthwhile so that you capture your best lifts on film.

Strategy Considerations
If you begin missing a lift repeatedly, you have two options: (1) go back down in weight, and slowly build back up, focusing on the mechanics that are limiting your ability to hit the weight…and build back up to it only to the extent that you are able to consistently hit the loads; or (2) stop after you have missed a weight multiple times (2-4 at most).

Event 1

5-Minute AMRAP of Muscle-Ups and Power Cleans
40-49
Complete as many reps as possible in 5 minutes of:
5 muscle-ups
10 cleans

Men use 155 lb.

Women use 105 lb.

50-54
Complete as many reps as possible in 5 minutes of:
5 muscle-ups
10 cleans

Men use 135 lb.

Women use 95 lb.

55-59
Complete as many reps as possible in 5 minutes of:
5 dips
10 cleans

Men use 135 lb.

Women use 95 lb.

60+
Complete as many reps as possible in 5 minutes of:
5 dips
10 cleans

Men use 115 lb.

Women use 75 lb.

Sequence Considerations
This event should be performed after the 1-RM Snatch event. Give yourself enough time to feel comfortable and ready to attack this event. The time between events will be dictated more by mental preparation than physical need for rest, so make sure you’ve switched your focused and visualized your game plan before starting in on this event.

Equipment Considerations
Height of the Muscle-Up Rings

– Be picky about your ring height. You want them at a height that you can kip effectively without your toes skimming the ground. That said, you don’t want them any higher than that. You want to be able to reach up and control the rings and instantly get back to them – rather than waiting while they swing around. So, don’t be afraid to ask someone to adjust the ring heights. This isn’t an area where being a nice person and not causing extra work is a benefit. Put the rings where you want them before you start your workout.

Shoes – Go with what feels most comfortable to you. The weight on the power cleans is not heavy enough to necessitate a weightlifting shoe, and the weightlifting shoe will add a little weight to your muscle-ups, so unless you feel the shoe gives you an advantage on the power cleans, I would opt for something light and flat.

Weightlifting Belt – There is not time to be putting on a weightlifting belt, so if you feel like you need it, you also need to be 100% confident performing muscle-ups in the belt. My preference would be that you not have a belt on or anywhere near you to tempt you to take an unnecessary break to fiddle with a belt.

Tight Collars – Select your best, most-secure collars for the barbell. You are going to be dropping the barbell. Make sure your plates are going to stay put and you’re not going to be spending time tidying your barbell.

Bumper Plates – Whether you select “dead” or “bouncy” bumper plates will depend largely on your strategy for this event. If your goal will be to go unbroken each time you put your hands on the barbell, you want to opt for a bouncier rubber plate. If you anticipate tackling the power cleans in smaller sets, you want to use a bumper plate with as little rebound as possible so that you don’t waste time chasing the barbell around or waiting for it to settle after it bounces.

Chalk – Ensure that you have a block of chalk conveniently located near your rings. You shouldn’t be moving more than 3 feet away from your rings at any time during your set of 20 muscle-ups. I would also strongly suggest placing the chalk on top of a box or some other platform so that you don’t have to bend over to pick it up. You should be able to easily reach for it, wasting as little time and energy as possible.

Tape Your Thumbs – Many of you will want to tape your thumbs for this workout. If you’re prone to tearing your thumbs when cycling cleans, be sure to tape early and warm-up with the tape to ensure it’s comfortable.

Movement Considerations
Muscle-Ups
Use Your Hips! – The longer you can use your hips to drive the majority of the power in your muscle-ups, the longer you will be able to sustain your pace. If you default to the elbow flexors and pulling yourself into and over the rings, you are more likely to crash in the later stages of the event. Think about driving your hips to the ceiling and then aggressively diving through the rings.

Kip Out of the Dip – Whether you feel fresh or thrashed, take a second to reset and kip out of your dip on the rings. For many of you – especially female athletes, the limitation in the muscle-ups will be the dip, not the transition. If you know that to be true, kip out of the dip from the very beginning even if you don’t think it’s necessary. You will be able to sustain your performance much longer by ensuring greater efficiency early in the event.

Cleans
Be efficient, and be consistent – Choose to move with the most efficient patterning right from the beginning; muscle cleans might be fast initially, but into the later rounds you’re going to want some of those reps back. Don’t wait until you are smoked to change to a more efficient movement. A slight knee bend on the power clean, get your elbows around, squeeze your butt to stand up tall, and then get the barbell off your chest immediately.

Keep it close – You want to keep the barbell as close to your body as possible when you are cycling the barbell. The further it gets from your body on the descent, the less efficient it is going to be, and the quicker you will have to start breaking up your sets. Think about shooting your hips and knees back and getting your elbows over the top of the barbell as quickly as possible to return the weight to the floor.

Keep Your Shins On the Barbell – If you end up breaking the cleans into sets, you MUST be disciplined and diligent about returning your hands immediately back to the barbell. Use the tactile cue of placing your shins against the barbell so that you are always in position to reach down, put your hands on it and achieve your next repetition.

Strategy and Pacing Considerations
Pacing considerations are going to vary based on the athlete’s proficiency with muscle-ups or dips. You all should have a good sense for how many muscle-ups you can accumulate in a workout and when they typically start to fall off. With that said, here are three categories of athletes and my suggestions for each:

Highly Proficient at Muscle-Ups/Dips – For you, this workout should be viewed as an interval sprint. Your goal should be to approach the sets of both movements with the mindset that you will complete them unbroken. Your transitions should be smooth and calming. After your initial five muscle-ups, calmly step to your barbell, give yourself a cleansing breath, and then commit to moving the barbell efficiently for 10 reps. You will then take a longer, more intentional transition resetting your focus on achieving another five unbroken muscle-ups. Intentionally focus on calming your breath and mind. This is your opportunity to re-apply chalk and take a cleansing breath before jumping up on the rings. If your ability to stay unbroken begins to degrade later in the workout, you will need to begin to approach your transitions with a bit more urgency.

Adequate with Muscle-Ups/Dips – Athletes who can perform muscle-ups/dips but struggle with higher volume in these movements will need to approach their pacing and transitions slightly different than those who believe they can continue to perform the 5 reps unbroken throughout. For you, the transition from the rings to the barbell should be quick, with the goal being to get through your barbell work efficiently. Your transition back to the rings should be intentional, focused on calming your mind and visualizing your next reps on the rings. As soon as you believe you can perform a successful muscle-up/dip, get on the rings. You will need time to rest between reps of muscle-ups, so don’t be overly cautious and use up all of your allotted rest time before knocking out the first or first couple reps of your set.

Struggle with Muscle-Ups/Dips – If achieving 1-2 rounds in this event would be a solid accomplishment for you, then you need to remain focused, almost exclusively, on keeping yourself fresh and listening to your body as to when you will be able to successfully achieve your next muscle-up/dip. It is common for athletes to get on the rings too soon after a failed attempt. If you missed the preceding rep, take a moment to compose yourself and be conservative as to when you take your next attempt. Once you are able to successfully get through the 5 muscle-ups/dips, get the barbell work done as quickly as possible so that you can resume your focus on the ring work.

How Do You Know When to Break Your Set of Muscle-Ups/Dips – If your dip out of the bottom of the rings becomes slow and “grinding” you will need to take intentional breaks to avoid failure. You are probably well-advised to come off the rings and shake out your arms when you notice any significant loss of speed from the bottom of the dip to extension. As long as your dips are smooth from the kip to the extension, keep on banging out reps. That means nobody should be relying on a set rep-scheme, but rather by the way the dip out feels and the effort required to achieve successful repetitions.
———————————-

VISUALIZATIONS FOR EVENTS 1 & 2 – http://bit.ly/InvictusVisualizationMastersQualifier1_2

VISUALIZATION FOR EVENT 4 – http://bit.ly/InvictusVisualizationMastersQualifier4

———————————-

Event 4
21-15-9 of Deadlifts, Box Jumps and Handstand Push-Ups

40-49
21-15-9 reps for time of:
Deadlifts
Box jumps
Handstand push-ups

Men use 225 lb., 24-inch box

Women use 155 lb., 20-inch box

50-59
21-15-9 reps for time of:
Deadlifts
Box jumps
Handstand push-ups with 2-inch riser

Men use 185 lb., 24-inch box

Women use 135 lb., 20-inch box

60+
21-15-9 reps for time of:
Deadlifts
Box jumps
Handstand push-ups with 4-inch riser

Men use 155 lb., 20-inch box

Women use 105 lb., 20-inch box

Sequence Considerations
This event should be performed as the first event of the second day that you are performing your events. You should give yourself plenty of time to get warmed up, paying particular attention to your posterior chain and lower legs. Mash out your calves and hamstrings, then get hot and sweaty before starting this event.

Nutrition Considerations
You want as much blood available to your extremities as possible. Your GI tract should be relatively empty (unless you are one of the athletes that does not respond well to fasted state training). My preference would be that your last meal prior to competition be 2-4 hours before starting this workout, and that it be comprised mostly of easily digested carbohydrates. Think in terms of purees, mashes, etc…that do not require your digestive system to expend a lot of energy to break down and digest.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Make sure you have hydrated well in the 24-36 hours before you tackle this event.

If you have previously tested semi-fasted training and did not respond well, please adjust your eating times accordingly.  The same general rules regarding easily digested food should still apply though.  And remember, you are not trying anything new in competition, so if you haven’t played with semi-fasted training yet, stick to what you know.  Comfort and routine should take precedence here.

Equipment Considerations
Weightlifting Belt – Unless you feel that you need the belt to protect your back during the deadlifts, my preference would be that athletes don’t have the distraction of a weightlifting belt for the box jumps and handstand push-ups. That said, you need to keep your back healthy, so if you’re concerned about your back limiting your performance, then wear a Velcro belt and make only minor tightening and loosening adjustments in transition from one movement to the next.

Shoes – Nike Met-Cons, Reebok Nanos or another flat-soled shoe should be your shoe of choice here. They are flat to the ground for the deadlift and light for the box jumps. Let me know if you have a shoe selection question, otherwise I will assume that everyone is wearing some sort of flat training shoe.

Handstand Push-Ups –
I expressed my opinions regarding the implementation of this handstand push-up standard during the Open, so I won’t do so again here. The new standard is very good if applied consistently. My concern is not whether judges can determine if an athlete’s feet pass the marked line or fail to pass the marked line, but rather in how that initial measurement is taken. Let me give you a quick visual example using Nichole as our model.

In the photo on the right, Nichole reduces her range of motion by four inches by simply depressing her scapulae and keeping her abdominals engaged – maintaining the distance between her ribs and hips as she reaches overhead. Her shoulders and elbows are still (at least arguably) extended to the degree required by the standard. Four inches is a HUGE difference.

I am not suggesting that you try to cheat the system, but I do think it’s important to lay out my concern in this event. I am concerned – and I believe rightly so – that athletes on the bubble will err further to the side of Nichole’s “soft extension” demonstration than they will to her “full extension” measurement…and the difference could decide who goes to Games and who doesn’t.

Gymnastics Mat or Plates with an Abmat – It will be important to have a surface on which you can place your head without much discomfort. If you have a Dollamur mat or a good gymnastics mat that you like to use for handstand push-ups, then do so.
Alternatively, you may want to consider using an Abmat (or some other soft matting) placed between two plates. The hard plates will provide a better pressing surface than will the gymnastics mat. The gymnastics mat, while providing a soft surface for your head, will also provide a soft surface for your hands – meaning you are more likely to lose force by pressing into a soft surface than a firm surface like weight plates. For this reason, I would probably suggest using plates and an abmat between – just be sure to stand on the plates when you do your measurement.

Of course for those of you who get risers, your hands should be on the hard gym mat and you should have your abmat/risers between your hands.

Mark Your Hand Position! – My suggestion is that you want to know exactly where your hands need to go in order to keep you within the standard. As your hands start to creep out wider, you will become shorter against the wall and run the risk of failing to meet the movement standard of getting your heels above the marked line. Practice a few reps, make sure you meet the standard, and draw lines with tape or chalk that mark the furthest you can allow your hands to go while still allowing you to meet the movement standards – then make sure that you place your hands within those lines every time you kick up.

Movement Considerations
Deadlift
Finish Tall – Squeeze your butt and belly at the top, and keep your lats engaged throughout the movement. Focus on tightening your abdominals and forcefully expressing air through your teeth as you come up to the top of your deadlift, that will help keep your back healthy and prevent you from overextending – which increases the range of motion and slows you down.

Meet the Movement Standard…No More, No Less – The standard on the deadlift requires full hip and knee extension, it does not require a back bend. Finish the deadlift by squeezing your butt and belly – not by pulling your shoulders further back at the top of the lift. That’s a disaster in terms of spinal mechanics, and it lengthens your range of motion – which isn’t ideal. Squeeze your butt and belly at the top, and keep your lats engaged throughout the movement. Focus on tightening your abdominals and forcefully expressing air through your teeth as you come up to the top of your deadlift, that will help keep your back healthy and prevent you from overextending.

Don’t Hang Out at the Top – As you approach the top of your ascent, focus on squeezing your butt and your abdominals. As soon as you hit that contraction and feel your glutes engage to push your hips to full extension, immediately reverse the movement and begin the descent of your next repetition. We do not want you pausing at the top of your reps…it becomes wasted time. If you pause at the top of each repetition, you’re giving up a ton of time over the course of 45 repetitions.

Double-Overhand Grip Until It Gets Heavy – If this weight is relatively light for you, keep a double-overhand grip – and maybe even consider placing the barbell lower down into the fingers instead of the palm of the hand. You’ll reduce the range of motion of the deadlift and save your back a little bit of the torsion that occurs when we mix our grip. Of course, if you begin to feel the barbell slipping out of your hands you will need to adjust your grip to ensure that it’s not an issue.

Breathe at the Top – It’s ok to pause at the top if you need a quick breath in order to get back to work performing unbroken reps. Breathing at the top is often easier than trying to set up at the bottom and get a breath at the same time. Exhale as you approach full hip extension, then pause to get a good breath, and then head down and right back up on that breath.

Get Them Done – I hate implying that your form can be sloppy here, but I need you to trust your training and not be thinking about your mechanics on each rep. That is, in no way, an endorsement of a reckless style, but a simple reminder that too many athletes will approach this event with fear and a preconceived notion as to how they will perform. You need to have a clear mind and allow your body to do what you have trained it to do. Keep the barbell close to you, keep your belly braced, squeeze your butt at the top, and keep your chin neutral . . . but you should know all of this by now. Don’t overthink the deadlift, just get them done.

Box Jumps
Jumping vs. Stepping – I am not going to make a blanket statement as to which is better, that will vary greatly depending on the individual. I do, however, want you to remember the principles that will be most important in approaching the box jumps in this event – that you approach them at a pace in which you can get through them without redlining. That makes step-ups a viable option. You may not use them for every round or for all of the reps on a particular round, but it is a viable tool for you to utilize when you need to regroup – and it’s way better than not moving at all. And by all means, if your back becomes unbearably stiff during the workout, step-ups will allow you to keep moving quickly when jumping doesn’t seem like a smart option.

How Fast Are Your Step-Ups? – If you don’t know, practice a set or two of 15 step-ups and determine how much time you stand to lose if you switch to step-ups. You will almost certainly realize that they are much faster than you would expect. We have done a lot of testing on these in sets of 15 reps and the typical disparity is only 3-5 seconds on 15 reps. While they’re slightly slower, they’re also easier to keep pace as you begin to fatigue through your posterior chain, so many times athletes are able to catch up any lost time in other movements. If you can keep your heart rate down and still perform the step-ups in less than 2 seconds per rep, you should give strong consideration to utilizing step-ups.

Stay in Control – I want you to be quick, but I also want every rep to count. If you are bounding your box jumps, you need to stick the landing on the box and be sure to get full hip and knee extension before falling off the box. The best way to do this is to keep your chest over your toes (if your chest is too upright or back, you are likely to fall off the box before demonstrating control at the top). You should also be thinking about pumping your arms to assist in your drive phase of the jump. Don’t let your arms be dead weight – use them to gain momentum as you jump.

Use the Corner – Jumping at the corner of the box instead of the flat edge allows you to stay closer to the box and drop your feet slightly off to the side instead of jumping back off the top each time. It is also advantageous if you utilize step-ups at any point in the workout.

Breathe! – Be sure to breathe throughout the box jumps. If you maintain a rhythmic breathing pattern throughout the box jumps, aerobic capacity should not be a limiter in this one. If, on the other hand, you’re trying to race through the box jumps, you’ll end up gasping in transitions and taking longer than necessary before getting back on the barbell.

Handstand Push-Ups
Kip from the Start – You should kip the handstand push-ups from the very beginning. You are going to need every bit of power you can get from your shoulders later in this event, so keep your movements efficient from the very beginning. Top athletes will likely be performing more than 100 handstand push-ups over the course of the 8 minutes, so there is no reason to waste any unnecessary energy performing strict handstand push-ups.

Keep Your Head In Front of Your Hands – To ensure that you have a good kipping “tripod” position, make sure that your head is a few inches closer to the wall than your hands. You should be able to see your fingers without turning your head when your head is on the mat.

Compress As You Descend – Your handstand push-ups should look like an upside-down version of your wall ball shots. You would never catch the ball with your legs straight; you would always absorb the ball, receiving it as you descend into the next squat. I want you to do the same on your kipping handstand push-ups. You should be bending your knees to put you in a good kipping position at the same time that you are bending your elbows to descend your head to the mat. This will also ensure the quickest cycle time of the kipping handstand push-ups and minimize the amount of time you spend resting on your head.

Keep your Kip Short and Quick…Until You Need A Bigger Kip – You should have two different versions of a kipping handstand push-up – one in which you keep your kip quick by minimizing the flexion at your hips, and another that is more powerful but slower because it takes advantage of deeper hip flexion to generate more power. In the early sets when you are fresh, there is nothing wrong with the shorter cycle kip. When you start to feel the first signs of fatigue, switch to the more powerful long-cycle kip by pulling your knees in closer to your chest when you chamber them – and then kicking long and back up to the wall.

Bring Your Feet Together at the Top – One way to gain extra length and ensure that your heels pass the marked line on the wall is to bring your feet back together at the top position. You will allow your feet to splay to the sides as you compress into the kip, but work to kick them back together into full extension.

Push Your Chin Back to Neutral at the Top – In the middle portion of the concentric phase (pressing up) of the handstand push-up, it is advantageous to look down slightly at your hands to recruit more muscle groups, but at the top position, focus on bringing your chin back to neutral so that you are gazing straight out in front of you – looking into the gym, not at your hands. This will help prevent any back bending or breaking at the midline and will be instrumental in helping you establish the fully extended position emphasized by the new handstand push-up standard.

DORSIFLEX!!! – Yes, it is important enough to deserve all caps, bold font and three exclamation points. To give yourself the best opportunity of meeting the movement standard, you need to reach as high as possible with your heels – not your toes. That means focusing on pulling your toes toward your knees and extending your heels as high up the wall as possible.

Strategy and Pacing Considerations
Get Hot and Sweaty Before the Event – This is going to be a sprint workout! Please be sure to warm-up adequately . . . including getting a good sweat going and practicing a few reps at speed with the deadlift and the box jumps. Practice as few handstand push-ups as possible, but make sure you’ve done enough to get your timing locked in.

Unbroken or Strategic Breaks on the Deadlift – For most of you this weight is relatively light, so I am going to advise trying to keep the deadlift unbroken. If you’re capable of doing so, I think you get more out of keeping the deadlift unbroken and then taking a slightly longer transition over to the box jump to get your legs under you before you begin bounding or stepping.

Build Speed on the Box Jumps – You may want to approach each set with the intent to speed up the pace of your box jumps over the course of the first 3-4 reps of each set. The first rep or two often feels foreign after the deadlift, so allow yourself the first few to be situated and as you feel comfortable, accelerate your pace until you find your fastest, controlled box jump rhythm. You may even consider stepping for the first couple until you feel like you’re ready to begin bounding – if you are going to bound your box jumps.

Smart Sets on Kipping Handstand Push-Ups – This prescription will be highly individualized based on your proficiency with handstand push-ups, but everyone will be well-advised to stay away from muscle failure. If you’re not particularly confident with handstand push-ups, go with small sets and shorter rest. You don’t want to get caught up in doubles and triples after an initial large set. Keep your sets consistent. If you’re capable of kipping efficiently all the way through your 21, 15 and 9 reps, do so.

When to Break Handstand Push-Ups – The rest periods you take on the handstand push-ups will depend on the individual, but as mentioned above, I do not believe anyone should go into their first attempt at this workout with set rep schemes in the handstand push-ups. My suggestion is that athletes pay attention to the speed of the concentric action of their handstand push-up and the relative effort expended for each successful repetition. As soon as repetitions become labored and there is a noticeable decrease in the speed of the concentric action – what we commonly refer to as “grinding” through a rep by pressing through the second half of the extension – then the athlete needs to come down off the wall. You can get away with “grinding” through a rep or two, but unless you’re in the final moments of the workout, you will be well-advised to steer clear of continuing to get through reps in that manner. Instead, focus on a quick and powerful extension of your hips and a FAST punch of your hands away from your shoulders to drive you into the top of the handstand push-up without any pausing along the way. Stay away from muscle failure at all costs…until the final seconds of the workout. If the speed of movement isn’t there, come down, give yourself a few breaths and kick back up and try again with your focus on the speed and power of the kip to get you all the way to the top of the handstand push-up.

Post-Workout Nutrition Considerations
Sip on your recovery drink while you stretch and cool down. After you drink your recovery drink, try to get some food in as soon as possible. Assuming you are going to be tackling your final event later in the day, it’s important that you fuel and hydrate and get ready to go again. This meal should be comprised of mostly easy to digest carbohydrates and some light protein. These would be your purees and mashes, things like the 4:1 sweet potato and applesauce mash mixed with a little bit of whey protein and BCAAs, or the Peter Rabbit Organics squeeze packs accompanied by a little bit of protein. You also need to make sure you HYDRATE!

While you want to hydrate and refuel well – especially with carbohydrates and electrolytes – you also have a conditioning session ahead of you that you will want to feel light and fast for, so make sure your food is easy to digest and isn’t causing you to feel sluggish before you compete again later in the day.

——————————————

EVENT 3

Row, Thrusters and Pull-Ups

40-54

Two rounds for time of:

1,000-meter row

50 thrusters

30 chest-to-bar pull-ups

Men use 65 lb.

Women use 45 lb.

55+

Two rounds for time of:

1,000-meter row

50 thrusters

20 chin-over-bar pull-ups

Men use 45 lb.

Women use 35 lb.

Sequence Considerations

This event should be performed after all other events have been completed. This may be completed as a PM session if you performed events 2 and 1 on one day, and event 4 in the morning on the second day. Alternatively, you can perform this as a stand-alone session after completing the other three events.

Nutrition Considerations

Generally speaking, you want as much blood available to your extremities as possible. Your GI tract should be relatively empty unless you do not respond well to a fasted state training. My preference would be that your last meal prior to competition be 2-4 hours before completing the workout, and that it be comprised mostly of easily digested carbohydrates. Think in terms of purees, mashes, etc…that do not require your digestive system to expend a lot of energy to break down and digest.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Make sure you have hydrated well in the 24-36 hours before you tackle this Qualifier event.

If you have previously tested semi-fasted training and did not respond well, please adjust your eating times accordingly.  The same general rules regarding easily digested food should still apply though. Comfort and routine should take precedence here.

Set-Up and Spacing Considerations

Transitions in this event should be smooth and mindful. You don’t need to sprint from one station to the next, but rather stay composed and allow your focus to shift to the next task at hand. Your focus should be only on the task at hand until you have completed it, and then you will take a brief moment to breathe, switch focus and get to work on tackling your next element. That said, if you can keep your transitions relatively tight, do so.

Equipment Considerations

Concept 2 Ergometer (Rowing Machine) – Make sure your erg is well-maintained. Use your newest erg, make sure it has been oiled relatively recently, and most importantly, make sure your batteries are charged/new. You do not want the erg battery failing on you during your effort.

Damper Setting – Don’t change your damper setting significantly from what you typically row at. In a shorter duration, some people do a little bit better with a slightly higher damper setting, but unless you’ve practiced this setting and feel comfortable with it, you don’t want to be straying too far from what is typical. When we start messing with damper settings, we also have to change stroke rates, and if you haven’t practiced rowing at higher settings, I am not sure now is your best opportunity to do so. Stick to what you know, stay consistent in your set-up and follow the pacing and strategy considerations below.

Bumper Plates – For male competitors up to the age of 54 I suggest using bumper plates with as little rebound as possible. The concept should be – “the deader the better” when it comes to your bumper plates. While you shouldn’t be dropping the barbell often, you want to make sure it stays close to you and isn’t skipping across the gym.

Tight Collars – Select your best, most-secure collars for the barbell. Make sure your plates are going to stay put and you’re not going to be spending time tidying your barbell.

Shoes – This is really a matter of personal preference and will vary for every athlete.  To me the decision comes down to the following questions:

1.     Do you have any potential depth problems in either weightlifting shoes or flat-soled shoes? If so, you should immediately exclude that option.

a.     Depth can be an issue in weightlifting shoes for athletes who tend to get forward in their toes and shoot their knees forward – the hips then sit higher than the knees.

b.     Athletes with tight ankles can be restricted in their range of motion in flat-soled shoes because of their lack of dorsiflexion.

2.     Which shoe is more comfortable for the thrusters?

3.     Do you row as efficiently in the shoe that is most comfortable for the thrusters?

If an athlete has no movement restrictions and is equally comfortable in flat-soled shoes and weightlifting shoes, I would suggest wearing the flat-soled shoes. They should give better weight and power distribution through both the row and the thrusters. They will also be a little easier to get out of the straps on the erg.

Again, this is a personal preference. There is no right or wrong.

Height of the Pull-Up Station – Set-up at a pull-up station that does not require you to jump or step up. You don’t want to be losing time or energy having to jump high to a pull-up bar when you break your pull-ups. Just be sure that you are able to hang from the pull-up bar with a complete lock out without your feet touching the ground.

Grips – I would strongly consider wearing some sort of grips as you could potentially be repeating this workout. If you are an athlete who is prone to hand tears, wear them as bad hand tears will affect future attempts. Grips might be simply made from athletic tape, might be gymnastics strips designed for the purpose, cut yoga mats, etc…. What is most important is that they are a solution that you have tried before and that you are comfortable with. The grips will allow you to focus on your movement and positioning by taking away the distraction and slickness of a torn and bloody palm.

If you are not comfortable with grips and have not been using them, they are probably not appropriate for this workout.  You need to break them in and know that you are totally comfortable using them.

Knee Sleeves – If you regularly train with knee sleeves and like the feedback that they provide at the bottom of the squat, consider wearing them. The weight isn’t heavy on the thrusters, but there are 100 of them. If you can get a little extra “bounce” out of the bottom of your thruster because of your knee sleeves, that’s great. My only caution would be that knee sleeves can feel constricting in higher volume conditioning workouts. If you’re not accustomed to wearing knee sleeves for your conditioning workouts, do not choose the qualifier to try them out. Stick with what you know and what you are comfortable with.

Chalk – Chalk Placement – Ensure that you have a block of chalk conveniently located near your pull-up bar. I want you to use it only when you NEED it, but make sure it isn’t more than 3 feet from your pull-up bar. I would also always prefer that the chalk is up off the ground on a box or J-cup so that you don’t have to bend over to get it. It may seem like a small detail, but bending over every time you need chalk takes time and puts you in a compromised breathing position. Set the chalk so that you can remain standing tall when you reach for it. And of course, you can also place a small chunk of chalk in your pocket if that’s easier for you.

Chalk the Pull-Up Bar – Before you even begin the workout, chalk the pull-up bar. This will help keep the bar from becoming too slick and will be a mental cue to place your hands on the pull up bar.

Movement Considerations

These are three movements that are very familiar to you. Over the past several months we have not only touched on each of these movements frequently, but we have also put them in combination like this frequently. We have used a “rowing buy-in” in more training sessions than I can count. Well, it’s here and I am feeling really good about how well prepared you should be. Nonetheless, there are still some basics that I want you to remember:

Rowing

Sprint Start on the Erg – There is no need for me to reinvent the wheel on this. Shane, our rowing coach at Invictus, has already produced a video on this for the CrossFit Journal. He explains the sprint start as a five-stroke sequence – A three-quarter-slide stroke, a half-slide stroke, another three-quarter-slide stroke, and two full strokes . . . then normal, smooth rowing strokes.

Here is the full video of Shane’s tutorial:

http://journal.crossfit.com/2012/08/shane-sprintstart.tpl

Here is the abbreviated YouTube preview if you don’t have a subscription to the Journal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gm8tiSp23c

If you prefer written explanations, here you go:

https://invictusfitness.com/coaches/sprint-your-way-to-victory-part-one/

https://invictusfitness.com/coaches/sprint-your-way-to-victory-part-two/

Ease Off the Throttle – Around 925 to 950 meters, ease off of your pace and begin focusing on calming your breathing and preparing yourself for your thrusters. The amount of time gained by continuing to sprint through the final 50-75 meters isn’t worth the energy you will expend just before going into thrusters.

Row Through 990+ Meters – You don’t have to start a new pull once the screen shows more than 990 meters, but be sure you don’t start un-strapping until you see 1000 meters have been achieved.

Quick Release Off the Concept 2 Erg – You will be transitioning off of the Concept 2 erg twice in this event, which means you need to make sure your strategy for getting in and out of the pedals is sound. The best method we’ve found is to place the handle back in the cradle and then press down on the tabs of both foot straps with your thumbs while simultaneously pulling your toes toward your knees. This loosens the straps so that you can then point your toes down and lift your heels out of the cups. This quick release method also means that the straps stay loosened and ready for you to easily slide your feet in, grab the straps in each hand and make one quick pull to tighten.

Thrusters

Full Clean the First Thruster – Make every thruster count from the moment you pick up the barbell to the moment you finish your last thruster. There’s no need to waste motion on the first rep, pick up the barbell and bounce immediately out of the bottom of the first thruster. Avoid the temptation to power clean the barbell before starting your thrusters. You can adjust your feet on the second rep if necessary, but start the barbell moving immediately.

BREATHE!!! – Establish a breathing rhythm as soon as you start your thrusters. This may sound intuitive, but many athletes hold their breath early in their sets of thrusters and end up gasping for air later. From the very first rep stay focused on exhaling as you punch the weight overhead, and inhaling as you return the barbell to your shoulders and descend into the next repetition. Staying focused on your breathing will provide a nice distraction from any burning in your legs or thoughts of slowing down, and more importantly will keep you from going hypoxic.

Smooth is Fast – In this workout, my suggestion is that you keep your thruster rhythm smooth and consistent. In a shorter duration workout like “Fran” we prioritize pulling the barbell from the top back to the rack position, but in an event like this one, my suggestion is simply to maintain an even breathing rhythm with each repetition – exhale as you punch, and inhale as you immediately start your descent into the next repetition.

Pause at the Top to Breathe – It might seem counterintuitive, but pausing at the top of the thruster can actually give you a moment to gather your breath, find a good balance and drop into the next thruster. It’s not a long pause, but it gives you a chance to gather yourself and sync up your breathing. If you need to gather your breath in the middle of a set, I prefer that you do this than trying to breathe with the barbell resting in the front rack position.

Mobility and Movement Efficiency – My favorite stuff from K-Star on Thrusters came from his 2012 prep for 12.5.

https://youtu.be/BymZgyue9aI

Here are a few good shoulder mobility drills from our YouTube channel for you to

choose from:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp0qJBUYU1ztTN35MizHB1uZiTNEdoYdi

Here is the internal rotator stretch for a better rack position:

https://invictusfitness.com/must-read-posts/how-to-get-a-better-rack/

Pull-Ups

Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups/Chin-over-the-Bar Pull-Ups

Smooth, Rhythmic and Efficient is Better than Fast – In this event, smooth, rhythmic, efficient and consistent pull-ups will win the day. Don’t worry about trying to be overly fast on your pull-ups, but rather, take them at a comfortable rhythm that allows you to maximize movement efficiency. If your rhythm goes and you find yourself pulling excessively to get your chest to the bar, consider coming off the bar for a very brief break to simply jump back up and re-establish a better rhythm.

Light Touch – Your chest-to-bar pull-ups should be grazing, not smashing, into the bar with your chest. Find your rhythm so that you are consistently grazing the bar without interrupting your ability to flow nicely into your next pull-up. As mentioned above, if you find yourself struggling to find rhythm or smashing your chest into the bar, it is often quicker to come down for a very brief break and jump back up to establish your good kipping rhythm.

Get Your Grip Over the Top – The hand position that you establish on your pull-ups will be important in ensuring that your grip doesn’t burn out later in the event. My preference is that you try to get the meaty part of your hand on the bar so that your knuckles (just above the palm of your hand, not on your fingers) are placed on the very top of the pull-up bar. This establishes a pseudo false-grip on the pull-up bar and allows you to hang without working nearly as hard to grip. In this position, your wrist should be slightly flexed – if it’s entirely neutral, the pull-up bar is probably resting in your fingers instead of in the meat of your hand. This stronger position also buys you space so that as you fatigue, if the pull-up bar starts to slip further down your hand you will still be able to maintain a grip with the bar in your fingers – the more neutral wrist position.

Breathe! – Be sure to breathe throughout these movements. If you maintain a rhythmic breathing pattern throughout the rowing, thrusters and pull-ups, aerobic capacity should not be a limiter in this one. If, on the other hand, you’re tight and holding your breath during these movements, you’ll end up gasping in transitions and taking longer than necessary breaks.

Strategy Considerations

Generally speaking, between these three movements, you need to push yourself mentally and physically on the rower and thrusters, and you need to protect your chest-to-bar pull-ups a bit more, keeping these as efficient as possible, and taking very short breaks to reestablish rhythm once your movement becomes labored.

Don’t Win the 1000m Row – The pace should be fast and smooth at around 90% of your 1000 meter PR pace. This event isn’t won on the erg, so you want to be smart about how much you leave in the tank as you progress through the rest of the workout. This is particularly true in the first 1000 meters of the event. Calm your nerves and sit around 90% and you’ll be well set-up as the event rolls out. If you feel amazing going into the second round, then turn up the pace a little bit. Trust me…losing 20-30 seconds to another competitor on the erg is not going to determine the outcome of this event.

Mentally Strong on the Thrusters – How athletes handle the thrusters, and particularly the second round of thrusters, will likely determine their placement in this event. While most athletes should feel comfortable to take on the first round of thrusters in one to two large sets, the second set will challenge most athletes’ mental toughness. You will feel exhausted, and you will want to put the barbell down. Fight the urge to do so before it is absolutely necessary. Remember, you don’t rest when something becomes uncomfortable…you rest when you will fail the next attempted repetition. You are not going to fail a lightweight thruster…so keeping pushing! You can make up 30 seconds or more on athletes in this second round if you can stay mentally strong and push through thrusters while others are dropping the barbell and pondering when to pick it up. Think about why you are doing this, and what you will take pride in when the event is over…that is your motivation to keep the barbell moving at this stage in the event.

Pull-Ups – The prescription for these are going to be highly individualized, but in general, please see my note above about keeping your pull-ups smooth and effortless. Once you reach a point where you feel yourself straining to achieve the pull-up, you need to take a short break and try to resume a good, rhythmic kip. If you know you are prone to burning out on pull-ups early, check your ego and go with small, consistent sets from the very start. This will be highly individualized so know how many pull ups you are able to maintain in a good rhythm without burning out. Make an honest assessment, without underestimating your abilities, about how to attack the pull ups, and then “feel” when you need to take breaks and when you can maintain a good consistent rhythm.

My only other note regarding pull-ups is that I want you to stay in position at all times. Keep yourself positioned right under the pull-up bar. Walking away from the bar to get chalk (or just aimlessly wandering) will only add unnecessary time to your recovery and transition. Walking away will also give you too much time to think and possibly devolve into negative self-talk. We want to avoid that at all cost. Instead, stay directly under the bar and know that you’re not going anywhere until you finish the immediate task at hand. It will help to keep you focused, and you’ll be able to get right back on the bar after a short break. Trust your training here.

Know your goal, know your strengths – As mentioned above, how you transition between the movements will depend largely on your goal time and your strengths. If you row really well, you will buy yourself the opportunity to breathe a little bit in transition before picking up the barbell. If you’re not confident in your rowing, you need to trust your engine and desire and push the transition periods a bit more. Calm transition as you move into the pull-ups. I want you to establish a good rhythm on your pull ups so take a moment to walk to the bar, take a breath and then hammer out your pull ups.

—————————————————

VISUALIZATION FOR EVENT #3 – http://bit.ly/InvictusVisualizationMastersQualifier3