2016 Reebok CrossFit Games Open

16.1 Strategy

16.1 Strategy

Check out these tips and strategies not just from us, but from some of the best coaches and minds in the CrossFit world. And if you're looking for even more

Feb 26, 2016 by Armen Hammer
16.1 Strategy
Check out these tips and strategies not just from us, but from some of the best coaches and minds in the CrossFit world. And if you're looking for even more good stuff you'll love our Abbott vs Cho "Tale of The Tape" and our guess at what the repeat workout will be in this year's Open.


16.1


AMRAP 20 minutes:
25' overhead walking lunges (95/65)
8 bar facing burpees
25' overhead walking lunges (95/65)
8 chest-to-bar pull-ups

16.1 scores to beat


Chyna Cho: 279 reps (10 rounds + 25' lunges, 8 burpees, 25' lunges, and 1 pull-up)
Emily Abbott: 290 reps (11 rounds + 20' walking lunges)

9 Things Only OG CrossFitters Will Remember

16.1 strategy


This is a long one. It's the longest AMRAP in the Open's history, and includes a brand new movement to the Open: the overhead walking lunge. It's also the return of the bar facing burpee, which wasn't included in the 2015 Open after it crushed souls during 14.5 in 2014. This is also the first time the Open includes chest-to-bar pull-ups in the first event of the Open.

So how do you approach it? Pacing and rhythm is key. It's not heavy and neither the burpees nor the c2b pull-ups are large sets and that means you've gotta keep moving no matter what. Simply thinking about a couple steps or reps ahead is going to help keep you moving well.

Staying calm and in control will also help make this flow even better. If you need to break up your reps, do so, but do it on purpose. No need to get worked up redlining your reps on the lunges or the pull-ups.

The overhead lunges will be a wrench for a lot of people, but mainly because not everyone actually does that very often. The key is going to be keeping a consistent pace, but not a sprint pace. Because of the standards (specifically the "stand up all the way" standard), you'll need to stay present during the whole time you're lunging.

Mentally, you can't check out during this event. 20 minutes is a relatively long time, but it's very easy for a short, controlled break to turn into 20-30 seconds of not doing anything and that's a death knell in this workout.

In terms of gear, you may want knee sleeve to protect your knees and some sort of grips to keep your hands healthy and tear free.

So that's where my head's at. I'm going to give this a shot in the next hour or so and update this with more tips tomorrow morning. Good luck!

Armen's update post 16.1:




More 16.1 tips from Armen:



7 More Things Only OG CrossFitters Will Remember


16.1 Tips


From Rudy Neilsen of The Outlaw Way:




From Jacob Tyspkin at TZ Strength:


This workout is all about pacing. For most intermediate to high-level athletes, there is no particular movement which will determine the outcome. Instead, the key is finding a challenging but sustainable pace and gritting it out.

Controlling transitions and rest periods is crucial in this event. There are four transitions per round, so keeping them fast can be the difference between a mediocre effort and a top performance.


From Danny Lehr at The Lifting Fix:




If you liked that, you'll love our review of "Fittest On Earth".