In Need of an Open Tutor

Workout date: 2/4/15

I really enjoy chippers at the gym.  Not exactly sure why, since I can't recall ever being particularly good at them, but I guess there is something fun about completing a task and moving on to something different.  Tonight we had a monster of a chipper at the gym.  The workout was dubbed "The Open Test" and it included all of the movements that we should expect to see once the Open starts in 3 weeks.  It was a 20 minute AMRAP of 50 wall balls, 50 double unders, 40 box jumps, 40 toes to bar, 30 chest to bar pull-ups, 30 burpees, 20 power cleans (145/100), 20 jerks (145/100), 10 snatches (145/100) and 10 muscle-ups.  I've started getting better at several of these movements, so I was excited about being put to the test.  That excitement would fade in approximately 10 minutes.

After seeing the scores from earlier in the day, it was clear that you had to be moving along pretty well to get to the barbell movements.  If I could somehow make it to the jerks, that would be a really successful workout.  And just for the sake of argument, if I didn't even make it to the burpees, that would be a freaking disaster.  Cue the freaking disaster.

Things got off decently enough.  The thought of attempting to string 50 wall balls in a row crossed my mind, but as I got into the workout, it became clear that this is probably not the workout where you want to try and do that.  I started off with one big set, then three medium sized sets (with a no rep mixed in) and I was on to the double unders.  I did have my concerns about the 50 double unders, though, as that competitors class where we started things off with 200 double unders showed me I still have a long way to go at becoming proficient at jumping rope.  Still, I did alright tonight.  Got 8 in each of my first two sets, then did a bunch of sets that typically resulted in 3-5 more reps.  The bad part was that my inefficient jumping technique was causing me to breathe heavy and we were only about 5 minutes in.  So not good.  Here is a picture of what I look like jumping during double unders:

(Efficient baby, yeah!)

Despite that, I was happy with my pace when I got over to the box jumps.  And even that didn't go poorly, although the breathing was causing me to go slower than I hoped.  When I finished my 40th box jump, we were right at the 8 minute mark.  Still pleased.

That feeling of satisfaction would quickly evaporate during the 40 toes to bar.  And I have to admit, I was confident that I would make up time here.  The 30 chest to bar pull-ups?  That would be a struggle.  But I've been much better at toes to bar recently.  Never would I have dreamed that I'd fall apart at this stage of the chipper.  The end came kinda suddenly.  I did my first 3 reps with the more efficient technique I learned, but the downside of that technique is that I lose control of my swing sometimes and that's what happened after rep 3.  So I went back to the technique that won me the ice cream bet.  I jumped up to the bar and patiently kipped my way through 6 more reps.  Then I did 4 more sets of 3.  Over half way, slow and steady, looking good....then WHAM!, old Batman style.  I did rep 22 and as I swung to do rep 23, my core said "no way dude".  First no rep.  There would be 5 more on the journey to 40.  I had dropped to singles.  And slow singles at that.  Coach Keith came over and let me know I was using a lot of energy jumping up to the bar, so I pulled over my box and used that as a step ladder to the bar each time.  It helped a little, but I still couldn't string any reps.  After 9 long minutes, I finished the 40th rep, very aggravated and exhausted.

My original thoughts on the chest to bar pull-ups was that I wanted to see if I could do more than the eight that I did at last year's Open, but we were long past that point when I pathetically finished up my toes to bar set.  I grabbed a band, threw it on the bar, and tried to churn out pull-ups as quickly as I could.  If I got 20, my score would be 200, which at least had a nice ring to it.  But I couldn't even do that.  18 reps in, the clock struck 20 minutes, and I was left with a scaled score of 198.  It was worse than I could have predicted.

What did I learn?  Double unders still need work.  And I suck at anything where my big ass is hanging underneath a bar.  I probably should have been patient tonight and stuck with the more efficient toes to bar technique, even if it meant small sets the whole way.  Could have saved my core a bit.  I didn't even make it to the barbell, but Keith impressed upon me again how important the pull was during warmups.

3 weeks until the Open and a lot of improvement needed.  No time like tomorrow to get working on it.