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19.1 Nutrition Tips from Coach Kayla

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A lot of our Paramount family will be participating in the CrossFit Open, so here are some helpful nutrition tips from Coach Kayla to keep us on track, starting with 19.1:

nutrition-tips

Stick to Similar Foods —
Performing an Open Workout is not going to be the best time to try out new foods or supplements. Adrenaline and nerves will typically be part of the process, so ensure that your stomach and body feel good by using foods you already know help you perform well!

Consider Your Carbs —
Carbohydrates are the most manipulated macronutrient when it comes to prepping for an intense workout. They are the easiest source of readily accessible energy for our bodies and we can use the characteristics of different carbs in order to maximize our energy. The main way we measure this is the glycemic index, which measures how fast the sugar from carbs is released into our bloodstream. Carbs lower on the GI index give us slower waves of energy, which helps us stay steady for a longer time. Carbs higher on the GI index give us a quick burst of energy, which helps us fuel up and recover quickly. Although different types of carbs are useful for different circumstances, all competitors can benefit from manipulating their carb choices.

Some examples of Low-GI foods:

  • Berries
  • Broccoli
  • Mushrooms
  • Zucchini
  • Cauliflower
  • Leafy greens
  • Cauliflower

Some examples of High-GI foods:

  • Pineapples
  • Bananas
  • Oranges
  • Baked sweet potato
  • Bread
  • White rice
  • Instant oats

Trim the Fat —
Avoid placing too many fats around your workout. Although fats do give us long-burning energy, they take a long time to digest. If our bodies are focused on digesting fats instead of maximizing carbs, we’ll see less benefit from our workout fueling. Stack the fats more at the opposite end of your day, away from your workout time.

Lastly, Stay Hydrated, Relaxed…and HAVE FUN!

—Coach Kayla

2019 CrossFit Open – What You Need To Know!

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With less than a week left before the 2019 CrossFit Open kicks off, now is a better time than ever to revisit some of the questions that seem to come up every year within the gym.

  • Why should I participate in the Open?
  • What movements can I expect to see?
  • What kind have workouts have shown up in the past?

And then, there’s the special fact that this year, for the first time ever, we will have not one, but two CrossFit Opens! So read on for a quick summary of the new CrossFit season layout, what we’ve seen in the past, and what to expect for 2019.

Ready?

The CrossFit Open: Now vs. Then

First, take a look at the crazy growth that the Open has seen since kicking off in 2011:

growth

In the past, the only way to qualify for the CrossFit Games was to compete in the Open. The athletes who finished at the top of the 18 different regions across the world would then be invited to Regionals.
The representation at the Games was always be as follows:

40 men, 40 women, 40 teams, 80 teenagers, and 240 masters.

Everything has now changed

Why, you ask? Mostly, CrossFit is trying to get more countries represented at the Games. Currently there are about 162 countries that have licensed CrossFit affiliates – yet last year, there were only 32 country flags at the Games.

New to 2019, the top finishing male and female in the Open from every country that has a CrossFit affiliate will get an invite to the Games. In addition to the top finishers from each country, the next best 20 athletes from the worldwide Open will be invited as well.

The Introduction of Sanctionals

Unless you’re trying to qualify for the Games, this information isn’t necessary vital, but good to know. In place of Regionals, we now have Sanctionals. Currently, there are 21 official Sanctionals scheduled – but so far only 15 will take place in 2019 – across 11 various countries.

The top men and women finishers of Sanctioned events will receive invites to go onto the Games in Madison Wisconsin. If you want to know all of the ins and outs of Sanctionals and more about the 2019 Open season, check out a full post on all of the changes here.

Ok, so when is the 2019 CrossFit Open?

There’s a short, and a long answer. Here’s the short one:

  • 19.1: Thursday, Feb. 21st – Monday, Feb. 25th
  • 19.2: Thursday, Feb. 28th – Monday, Mar. 4th
  • 19.3: Thursday, Mar. 7th – Monday, Mar. 11th
  • 19.4: Thursday, Mar. 14th – Monday, Mar. 18th
  • 19.5: Thursday, Mar. 21st – Monday, Mar. 25th

Here’s the long one: there are two Opens this year. The above dates that are listed, and then another estimated to be in October. The fall Open is what will determine which athletes are heading to the 2020 Games. From October 2019 and on, the CrossFit Open will always occur in the fall.

How do I sign-up for the Open?

In the U.S., it costs $20 per athlete to register for the Open. Yes, you can still technically participate and do the workouts even if you aren’t signed up. But once you register, you have the cool ability to create your own custom leaderboard, which essentially allows for you to track other specific athletes within your gym… the city you live in, or even the top Games athletes. If they’re in the Open, you can track ‘em on your leaderboard.

Here’s a full article on how to set up a custom leaderboard.

The 2018 Open Recap

If you’re reading this and competed in the Open last year, it’s worth the quick refresh… because you can never put an Open workout repeat past Dave Castro. Last year was a wild ride, and three new movements never seen before showed up across the five weeks.

Here’s an overview of each WOD from last year’s Open, including a detailed strategy guide for those brave enough to test the workouts within the next couple weeks.

18.1: The arrival of the DB Hang C&J
18.2: More DB’s…
18.3: Double Under Madness
18.4: Diane’s Revenge
18.5 = 12.5 = 11.6: Three-peat

The Most Common Movements in the Open

Here’s something even more important worth noting… since the Open kicked off in 2011, we have seen a total of 22 different movements across the 41 workouts. 5 of those movements have been programmed every single year.  Check this out:

5 movements to focus on

** Asterisks indicate movements which have shown up for the past four years running. #trending

While we’re breaking down the numbers, let’s take a look at workout schemes as well:

workout-schemes

Couplets & Triplets

Why should you expect to see more of the 2-3 movement workout schemes? Think of all of those bigger gyms around the world. They often don’t have the space to run 20-30 athletes through a 5-movement workout… or the time for 15 heats per night. In fact, our WODprep crew is predicting the arrival of a single movement WOD to make its debut in the 2019 Open.

Let’s wrap up with one of my favorite questions: Why do the CrossFit Open?

My answer to you, in short, is why not?

You do CrossFit to challenge yourself, day in and day out. The Open is such a great chance to compare and measure the progress that you’ve made – even if you’ve only been CrossFitting for a few months.

Not only that, ask any CrossFit coach about the Open Magic, and they’ll instantly grin. The number of ‘firsts’ that CrossFit athletes see during the Open – first pull-ups, first double unders, first muscle ups – is astronomical. There’s just something about the electricity of being surrounded by your CrossFit family and getting cheered on while you fight through the workout, and battle through movements that have intimidated you in the past.

To quote the Morning Chalk Up:

“You can measure your ability to meet the unknown and be prepared for the unknowable.”

We hope to see each and every one of you guys show up at the gym for the Open workouts, because you better believe it’s going to be a great time had by all, no matter what Castro throw at us.

And if you’re looking for some great pre-WOD reading and viewing before each programmed workout, come back here for our Open Strategy Guides. Because you can never be too prepared.

Fix Your Loopy Bar Path in the Snatch or Clean

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Having issues with banging the bar or a loopy bar path? Here are some common faults and what you can do to fix them.

Faults

  1. Too much separation between the bar and your legs
  2. Sweeping the bar in with the arms
  3. >Hitching
  4. Staying over the bar too long
  5. Stupid “backflip” technique

How to Fix

  1. Separation: make sure you are pointing the knuckles down, elbows out and keeping the lats engaged at the start. This sets the bar up to stay close. From there if you are still having issues check to see if the butt is raising too fast and the legs are straightening too much which creates a big space. Adjust by moving the knees less and trying to keep the chest tall.
  2. Sweeping with arms: sometimes athletes get “keeping the lats engaged” confused with actually sweeping the bar in and up the leg instead of just keeping it close. This moves the bar higher up your legs so it reaches the hip crease before you have time to get behind it. This leaves you one choice for extension, out and around. Keep your arms loose and allow your body position to move the bar into the hip crease.
  3. Hitching: typically this comes from athletes having too much speed off the ground then having to stop and readjust killing all bar speed and forcing a horizontal extension. Slow the pull off the ground down then accelerate above the knee.
  4. Staying over the bar too long: this comes down to timing, you need to trying adjusting at different positions on your thigh as to where you should adjust to get to the power position. Everyone has different body types so it won’t be the same for everyone. Play around with it until it feels smooth and easy to replicate.
  5. Stupid “backflip” technique: this is caused by ignorance and, unfortunately, comes from coaches who didn’t learn it properly or you just watching too many YouTube videos and not seeking proper coaching to learn the lifts. Regardless, now it’s time to fix this backflip, catapult, kettlebell swing lifting technique. The lifts are best performed with a vertical extension, not horizontal. Vertical is so much more consistent than any horizontal extension will ever be. It may feel weaker at first to some but that’s only because you didn’t learn how to use your legs (quads) properly to produce power. Your first task is to master the high hang (vertical torso) position with a vertical extension. There should be no bending over or pushing the hips back at this position. Shoulders, hips and ankles should be stacked.

While I don’t go through and address everything in detail in this video, I show you what progressions I would use to get more comfortable getting back to the correct power position. The video shows me linking everything together, although in coaching athletes, I would break it up into pieces and only work one piece at a time until the athlete can consistently move through the position with ease and comfort. From there you can go to the next piece or add them together.

As always, if you want to see a topic covered, don’t hesitate to reach out. Share with anyone you think could benefit from these help videos.

I will add part 2 soon with a complete detailed breakdown of drills I would use to further help and athlete fix these issues.

How to Fix Your Crashing Clean

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Is your Clean crashing? Does it bury you in the bottom when it gets heavy? Here are a few tips to help you dial in the timing and make your catch smooth!

Causes

Inefficient bar path, low elbows, too high of a pull, loose grip in the catch. The first video highlights the different ways athletes tend to miss weights.

How to Fix

Start with an empty bar and slow down the lift to a nice slow controlled speed.

Step one: Pull and snap, get the timing right so the bar rolls onto the shoulders. Knuckles down and elbows out, then pull the elbows up and snap the wrists.

Step two: high hang power clean, with a vertical torso dip 3 inches then drive and shrug, feel the bar travel straight up and catch. Bar path is important here.

Step three: hang clean pull then hang power clean. The pull helps maintain the proper bar path in the clean so then you just replicate with the power clean and practice until you have the right timing so it rolls.

Step four: Below the knee power clean. Same as before, work this position until the timing is right.

Step five: go through the same process but catch in a squat. The timing will need to be adjusted since the catch height is lower. The key is to slow things down. Don’t worry about how fast you can be it won’t help or matter until you have the timing dialed in. I see way to many people try to be the fastest at having shitty technique. The bar needs to be going up not out. Timing will be affected by an inconsistent bar path.

Step six: Add weight and go through the process again. Adjust timing and speed for the weight. Again my biggest recommendation is to go slow and smooth. Note in the videos I take my time and focus on the movement and timing not speed and power. In order to improve your technique you need to slow it down!

Coach Chris’ Interview with Dr. Annie

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Dr. Annie of Head 2 Toe Spine & Sports Therapy talks to Chris Douglas, Owner & Head Coach of Paramount Strength & Conditioning about Olympic Weightlifting and his recent win at the CrossFit Industrious fall WL event. Learn how Chris prepared and prevented injury!