Improving CrossFit Open 24.1 (Part 2)
Intro to sport performance
In Part 1 of this blog, we discussed how we think about improving movement for people that want to participate in competitive CrossFit. Once those basic movement skills are developed, athletes start to move into an intermediate or advanced stage of development where they have to actually learn to train for the sport. In this blog, we will explain how we think about long term development in the sport.
Data
CrossFit is an interesting sport in the sense that it has a very large number of people that compete at a high recreational level. Not only are there young professional athletes but there are people in their 40’s, 50’s, or 60’s who train multiple hours a day for an opportunity to compete at the CrossFit Games or other large scale competitions like Legends. Every year, there are thousands of scores to look through that help us guide athlete’s development by their athletic level. Below you will find a chart with a breakdown of the top times for the Open division, 35-39 masters, as well as teens and 55+ masters in Open Test 24.1.
Masters 35-39
Teens / Masters 55+
Data source: https://btwb.blog/2024/03/01/crossfit-open-24-1-preliminary-analysis/
Using the Data
As people compete in the Open, you can start to identify where their strengths and weaknesses lie. The tests can take on different time domains, structures, loading, and volume requirements. Open workout 24.1 has 180 contractions spread across two movements. As more tests are released, you will be able to see where individuals get exposed from a racing standpoint relative to their placement on the leaderboard. Within the TTT brand, we have different ways of trying to classify these workouts based on the energy system demands, time domains, and the movement complexity within the workout. 24.1 specifically has relatively low loading, simple movements, and is completed in 6-11 minutes for most serious competitors. So, if athletes scored poorly on this test, then they might need to develop physical performance qualities and sport-specific abilities that translate to improvements in areas that relate to the workout.
Sample Training Progressions
Training progressions can be categorized based on the biomotor qualities of strength, speed, endurance and based on their sport specificity. Here are some example workouts that would address those needs in training:
Strength Progressions
For most competitive CrossFit athletes, the 50# and 35# dumbbell snatch is not limited by strength. However, for novices, some masters athlete’s using the Rx loading, and the younger teen divisions, strength can play a big factor in the execution of Open 24.1. Below is an example training progression that shows three weeks of training that could be written for an athlete who was not strong enough to cycle the dumbbell effectively.
Week 1:
A. DB 1-arm Muscle Snatch - 3 x 10 / arm; rest as needed to maintain quality (start at a weight that you can confidently punch to lockout, build as long as you can maintain good speed to lockout)
B. DB 1-arm Power Snatch - 3 x 10 / arm; rest as needed to maintain quality (start at a weight that you can confidently punch to lockout, build as long as you can maintain stability overhead)
C. DB 1-arm Hang High Pull - 3 x 5 / arm; rest 1min b/t arms (heavier than “B”, goal is to build strength in the pull)
Week 2:
A. DB 1-arm Muscle Snatch - 3 x 10 / arm; rest as needed to maintain quality (start at heaviest load from week-1, build each set as long as you can maintain good speed to lockout)
B. DB 1-arm Power Snatch - 3 x 10 / arm; rest as needed to maintain quality (start at heaviest load from week-1, build each set as long as you can maintain stability overhead)
C. DB 1-arm Hang High Pull - 3 x 5 / arm; rest 1min b/t arms (progress loading from week-1)
Week 3:
A. DB 1-arm Snatch Complex: 4-5x sets / arm; rest as needed to maintain quality
-5x DB 1-arm Muscle Snatch
-5x DB 1-arm Power Snatch
*use heaviest load from the DB Muscle Snatch from week-1 across, if you feel good in the final 1-2x sets, build by feel.
+
B. DB 1-arm Hang High Pull - 4 x 5 / arm; rest 1min b/t arms (progress loading from week-2)
Strength Endurance Progressions
Another potential bottleneck in 24.1 is lacking the strength-endurance to maintain unbroken DB snatches through the end of the workout, or lacking the pressing strength-endurance needed to keep a steady pace on the burpees. Below is a training session with weekly progressions that could help people finish the workout stronger.
Week 1:
A. DB 1-arm Snatch Complex: 4x sets / arm; rest as needed (capped @ 75 reps / arm)
-AMRAP-2 DB 1-arm Muscle Snatch
-AMRAP-2 DB 1-arm Power Snatch
*use 50/35# across here, leave 2-3 reps in the tank with each variation
+
B. Wtd. Vest Push-up - 3x sets: max reps in 40sec; rest 90sec
Week 2:
A. DB 1-arm Snatch Complex: 4x sets / arm; rest as needed (capped @ 85 reps / arm)
-AMRAP-1 DB 1-arm Muscle Snatch
-AMRAP-1 DB 1-arm Power Snatch
*use 50/35# across here, leave 1-2 reps in the tank with each variation
+
B. Wtd. Vest Push-up - 3x sets: max reps in 50sec; rest 90sec
Week 3:
A. DB 1-arm Snatch Complex: 4x sets / arm; rest as needed (capped @ 90 reps / arm)
-AMRAP DB 1-arm Muscle Snatch
-AMRAP DB 1-arm Power Snatch
*use 50/35# across here, take each variation to local muscle failure
+
B. Wtd. Vest Push-up - 3x sets: max reps in 60sec; rest 90sec
Cyclical Endurance Progressions
Due to the time domain being between 6min to 11min for the top 25%, Open 24.1 would fall into our Intensive Intervals training category. Intensive intervals correspond roughly to an individual's VO2 peak pace for a given workout. This would feel like heart rate or breathing being the limiting factor from going faster. Below is a cyclical training session with example progressions that would develop the energy systems necessary to perform well in the workout.
Week 1:
Echo - 5min @ zone-2 w/ nose breathing only
+
Every 8min x 4 sets
Odd sets: 4min Echo @ 90% effort
Even sets: 4min Ski @ 90% effort
+
Echo - 5min @ zone-2 w/ nose breathing only
Week 2:
Echo - 5min @ zone-2 w/ nose breathing only
+
4x sets; rest 4min b/t sets
500m Ski @ same pace as week 1
…into…
3min AMRAP:
15/12cals Echo
15/12cals Ski
+
Echo - 5min @ zone-2 w/ nose breathing only
Week 3:
Echo - 5min @ zone-2 w/ nose breathing only
+
8min AMRAP
20cals Echo
20cals Ski
+
Echo - 5min @ zone-2 w/ nose breathing only
Bodyweight Endurance Progressions
Bodyweight movements like burpees can be effectively integrated into endurance training progressions for more advanced trainees. Below is a mixed cyclical + burpee training progression that could be used to prioritize burpee development in a similar metabolic environment that would be experienced during Open 24.1.
Week 1:
EMOM x 10
1→10 Lateral Burpees over line + Ski remaining time @ smooth pace w/ nose breathing only
*first round perform 1 burpee, add 1 burpee each round to 10
*this is a warm-up, focus on mechanics and execution
+
Every 8min x 4
4min cap:
40cals Echo
max rep lateral burpees in remaining time to the cap
+
Echo - 5min @ zone-2 w/ nose breathing only
Week 2:
EMOM x 10
1→10 Lateral Burpees over empty BB + Ski remaining time @ smooth pace w/ nose breathing only
*first round perform 1 burpee, add 1 burpee each round to 10
*this is a warm-up, focus on mechanics and execution
+
3x sets; rest 4min b/t sets
500m Ski @ strong effort
…into for time:
15-12-9-6
Lateral Burpees over DB
Cals Echo
+
Echo - 5min @ zone-2 w/ nose breathing only
Week 3:
EMOM x 10
5 Lateral Burpees over DB + Echo remaining time @ cruise w/ nose breathing only
+
10min AMRAP
15cals Echo
10 Lateral Burpees over DB
15cals Ski
10 Lateral Burpees over DB
+
Echo - 5min @ zone-2 w/ nose breathing only
Sport-specific Progressions
Ensuring you have the strength and endurance to perform well in Open 24.1 is only the first step. Once you have built these base qualities, you need to transition to sport-specific training. Below is an interval based training progression designed to transition from isolated strength, strength-endurance, and endurance training into more sport-specific training.
Week 1:
Intensive Intervals
10x Sets; rest 1min b/t sets
Odd sets:
9 Left Arm DB Snatch @ 50/35#
9 Lateral Burpees over DB
---------
Even sets:
9 Right Arm DB Snatch @ 50/35#
9 Lateral Burpees over DB
*complete sets faster than your target 24.1 pace / cadence
Week 2:
Intensive Intervals
12x Sets; rest 40 b/t sets
Odd sets:
9 Left Arm DB Snatch @ 50/35#
9 Lateral Burpees over DB
---------
Even sets:
9 Right Arm DB Snatch @ 50/35#
9 Lateral Burpees over DB
*complete sets faster than your target 24.1 pace / cadence
Week 3:
Extensive Intervals
3x Sets; rest = work b/t sets
21 Left Arm DB Snatch @ 50/35#
21 Lateral Burpees over DB
21 Right Arm DB Snatch @ 50/35#
21 Lateral Burpees over DB
*complete @ sustainable pace across sets, goal is to have NO drop off from round-1 to round-3
Sport-specific Workout examples
If you want an athlete to experience similar styles of workout in training on a weekly basis without just repeating the same workout, here are three example training sessions that provide a similar stimulus in terms of the rep ranges, time domain, and movement patterns. All of them have lateral jumping, burpees, and hinging but there is enough variance that they are not just getting better at the test itself by repeating it over and again.
Workout 1:
24-20-16-12-8 (80 total reps)
Alt DB Snatch @ 50/35#
Lateral Burpees over DB
Workout 2:
27-21-15-9
Power Snatch @ 75/55#
Bar Facing Burpee
Workout 3:
40-30-20-10 DB Hang Clean & Jerk (switch hands every at ½ reps every set)
15-15-15-15 Burpee Box Jump Overs @ 24/20” (must step-down)
Closing Thoughts
As with all sports, performance is dictated by a combination of talent, luck, and hard work. While coaching people in CrossFitTM, we have learned that there is no one size fits all approach to getting better. For example, some people respond well to more sport practice whereas others get injured frequently with that approach. Our goal at Training Think Tank is to help people create long term and sustainable progress while keeping the big picture in mind. We try not to allow a single workout to dictate entire training progressions because when a test becomes a target, it no longer becomes a good measure.
As you move forward in your coaching career, if you want to use CrossFitTM for GPP training, remember to ensure that people move well, safely, and in a variable way as we covered in Part 1. And if your clients are talented, hungry, and seeking challenge enough to want to improve in The Sport of Fitness™, remember to coach it as such.
