The Sport of Fitness

Compressing WOD Times

By Bill Tirado and Zach Frankhouser

Have you ever considered how much time and effort is lost moving from one exercise to another during mixed modality WODs? Do you want to lessen the amount of time it takes to begin that next movement? Do you want to finish your WODs faster? If your answer is yes, then we have some methods and techniques that may assist you. None of them are mind blowing, revolutionary, wheel inventing notions, but rather are some simple and obvious actions you can take before and during a workout to compress the time moving from one station to the next and actually performing movements.

First on the list is to understand the complexity of the WOD you’re about to engage in. Something like "Fran" (thrusters and pull-ups), may appear simple on paper, but how much have you thought about outside of time, reps, and load? How about strategies for transitioning? For example, to cut down on transition time, an athlete may set up his barbell facing away from the pull-up cage. Once the athlete has completed the thrusters, he or she can simply step backwards into the cage to grab the pull-up bar versus stepping over the bar, which decreases time and risks tripping. Durning "Cindy," instead of walking 10ft away from a pull-up bar to execute the push-ups and squats, drop from the bar right to the floor and then back to standing for squats. When setting up "Fight Gone Bad" ask what set-up saves the most transition time: a circle, a half circle, a straight line, opposing stations? Remember to use all patterns of movement (forward, backward, lateral, and diagonal) to facilitate ease of movement between exercises.

Once you’ve dissected the WOD and determined how you want to execute, move to and from each exercise, and identified your space, the next step is checking your equipment. This may seem like a no-brainer, but consider the consequences for failing to correctly secure weight to a barbell, load the incorrect weight, grab a nearly broken jump rope, or jump onto a slippery plyobox. Not only is your WOD time in jeopardy, but more importantly, your safety and the safety of others is at risk. Equipment check is best compared to the proven wood-working axiom: measure twice, cut once. It takes a little more time up front, but it will pay dividends in the form of better times.

How to compress the amount of time actually doing the exercises? Most mixed modality WODs are programmed to target different muscle functions, which maximizes power output. It is important to note that some WODs target same the same muscle groups doing different functions, thus making the transition to another exercise harder. Let’s use "Diane" as an example of the former: 21-15-9 of 225lbs deadlift and handstand push-ups (HSPUs), two completely different exercises, achieving different functions: lifting a load off the floor, and moving the head to the floor and the arms back to extension. No doubt the 225lbs deadlifts will leave you breathing hard, with burning legs, forearms, and lower back, but it is important to remember that your HSPU muscle groups and their functions have not been affected. You’ve set up the barbell just a few feet from the wall to cut down on the movement time. You’re breathing hard, but are you tired? To compress your WOD time your best bet is to jump right into the HSPUs. Not only will this compress the transition time, it’ll build your confidence and understanding that just because your lower back and legs are tired, doesn’t mean your HSPU range of motion is affected. The reverse method is used when moving back to the deadlifts. The HSPU has taken a toll on your upper body, but your legs and lower back have recovered. Get right to it and start pulling for reps, wasting no time moving back to the deadlift.

What happens if you simply cannot do all of your reps in a single set due to the fact that your muscles fail? The intensity of Crossfit tells you to go as hard as you can until you can’t do another rep, and then go again, but it is better to dial that mentality back a little in light of an entire workout. In the "Diane" example above, if you are on rep 9 of your handstand pushups, and you can tell that rep 10 is going to be a 5 second grinding fight that will end with you collapsing as soon as you finish the rep, complete rep 9 and stop. This will keep your muscles fresher over the course of the workout, and push back the point of failure. If you are not grinding out reps and failing, you will be moving through the workout faster, doing more work in less time.

What if respiratory fatigue and not localized muscle fatigue is slowing you down? (you are gassed, but your muscles are not burning)? Utilize active rest to recover. In the Crossfit Journal article "Good Housekeeping Matters," Crossfit legend Greg Amundson writes about active rest. Active rest has a different definition and use in certain fitness forums, for our purpose and use; it’s slowing down movements to recover while maintaining a high power output. Think of it like a cadence. Say in the "Diane" example above, you start doing your first set deadlifts at a pace of 1 rep every 1.5 seconds. By the round of 15 reps, you are gassing. Slow to a 1 rep every 3 seconds pace, in which you hold the bar at the top of the movement and breathe, or you pause at the bottom of the movement with the bar on the floor to breathe. While you slow your pace, don’t let go of the bar and focus on controlling your breathing.

Incorporating these methods and techniques before and during a workout will favor decreasing time to completion, rounds during an AMRAP, and counted reps during a WOD scored for reps, ultimately increasing your fitness level by ratcheting up the power output. Pursue of elite fitness by working harder and smarter.

For further information, read The Crossfit Journal: "Good Housekeeping Matters" by Greg Amundson

Sound off on more WOD compression strategies.

Relative vs. Absolute Strength and the Ideal Weight for Crossfiters

This year's CF games created much controversy about the topic of relative versus absolute strength. Chris "Speal" Spealler was in first place after the three WODs on Saturday of that weekend. By the time he had finished the final event, he had fallen to 10th place. Why? Because the last event was Clean and Jerk 155 lbs, which is 114% of Speal's 136lbs of bodyweight. Heavier athletes won (Jason Khalipa, 205 lbs) and placed higher. Controversy erupted. Should Speal have been able to demonstrate the same amount of work by dropping the weight and doing more reps? Should the Games have weight classes? This situation was the perfect example of relative versus absolute strength.

Strength, as defined by CFJ 3's article "What is Fitness" is "the ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units to apply force." Another Crossfit definition of strength is, "the practical application of force." Absolute strength is the ability of an athlete to move a given load. Relative strength is the ability of an athlete to move a load at a certain percentage of said athlete's bodyweight.

It will be easier for light athletes to lift more relatively than heavier athletes. As proof, look at the relative weights for Olympic weightlifting records, and powerlifing records. Also see Mark Rippetoe's Basic Strength Standards. The best lifts for the lighter lifters are much higher percentages of the athletes' body weights than the best lifts for heavier athletes.

Pound for pound strength is a good indicator of "crossfitness," but, in general, saying a lighter athlete is stronger than a heavier athlete is like saying an ant, which can carry several times its body weight, is stronger than an elephant. See the interesting thread on this topic on a Science Forums blog for further thoughts on ant strength.

This year's CF Games were a measure of power output. Top times for all 4 workouts were under 5 minutes, giving each workout a high power measurement. Power is work (which is force times distance) over time. To measure power we need to know bodyweight and height, load, distance, and time. Let's now look at an example using this equation. Two athletes of the same height do Fran as prescribed and clock in at the same time. One athlete weighs 135 pounds, the other weighs 185 pounds. Who did more work and therefore had a higher power output? The heavier athlete, as he had to move a greater bodyweight.

This brings us to the question of what is ideal bodyweight/ size for a Crossfitter. CF WODs were created with an ideal of an athlete around 175lbs (CF.com FAQ). This would be an average measurement. Some of us will fall in a weight class higher than this, and some of us will fall in a class below this one. Do we want big heavy guys who can move big weight quickly? Or do we want little light guys who have high endurance and high capacity in bodyweight exercises? The answer is that we want athletes to be capable at all skills and tasks regardless of bodyweight. In a look at the some of the original girls, such as Fran, Elizabeth, and Diane, Coach Glassman has shown that Crossfit is the great equalizer.  Read this part of CFJ 13 :

"But the crushing charm of these ladies lies in their magnificent capacity to root out weaknesses and humiliate you with them.

For many athletes the high rep deadlifts at 225 pounds, cleans at 135 pounds, and thrusters at 95 pounds are easy. For these same athletes handstand push-ups, ring dips, and pull-ups are very likely deficiencies. Typically, these athletes are larger.

Similarly, those athletes for whom handstand push-ups, pull-ups, and ring dips are a breeze are nearly certain to bristle at these loads and high reps in the weightlifting. Typically, these athletes are smaller.

Do these workouts favor middleweights? It doesn’t seem so. The middleweights seem to suffer at both ends."

Crossfit WODs are "constantly varied functional movements executed at high intensity." Variations include constant changes in load (weights used) and volume (number of reps, rounds, or sets completed). The light athlete must move prescribed weight in a given WOD to train their strength. The heavy athlete must remember that there will soon be a bodyweight only WOD along before long to kick their ass. All athletes with the ability to do so should complete all WODs as prescribed to train their strengths, but more importantly their weaknesses. Ultimately CF trains all modes, making any athlete, light or heavy, proficient in all areas.

Post thoughts on your weight and how it helps or hinders your WODs.

(Pictures courtesy of crossfit.com)

Form vs. Standards

The first recorded sub 2 minute Fran posted on CF.com on 11.05.08 created some healthy debate on the message boards. Some people congratulated, some decried the "form," and some decried the decriers for being haters. It is important to note that Jason "Rhabdo" Kaplan had posted a 2:08 Fran several weeks before with near perfect form and with each rep completed through the full range of motion.

Let's begin by setting forward some definitions for terms that people are getting confused. "Form," as related to Crossfit, is the way in which a movement is done, the technique with which it is preformed. Form can be good, ie, structurally sound, safe, and efficient; form can be bad, ie, structurally unsound, unsafe, and inefficient. "Standard," as related to Crossfit, is the requirement for a complete movement. Standards cannot be good or bad, they just are. Movements judged against these requirements are either incomplete or complete.

Rhabdo's 1:53 Fran was amazing. The athlete is legit. However a new record has not been set. 21-15-9 reps of 95lb thrusters and pull-ups were not completed. Why not? Because they did not meet Crossfit's standards for the movements. Thruster standards are: the crease of hip comes below the line of the knee in the bottom of the squat and the shoulder and elbows are fully extended and open at the top of the movement with the face throught the window created by the extended arms. In the video, Jason can be seen squatting to a med ball, which is a used a depth gauge. Thruster depth looks good. The problem comes at the end of the thruster sets. For the last rep of each set, Jason does not extend all the way overhead with the shoulder open at top of thruster and with head through window, instead he pushes the bar forward and finishes in front of the overhead position as he steps back to the pull-up bar. Everyday pullup standards are: the shoulders are all the way open at the bottom of the movement and the chin is over the bar  at the top of the movement. Reaching with the chin is tolerated, but not ideal; as long as the chin is over bar, the rep counts. Kaplan is using the butterfly kip, which has been shown to be the most effective way to complete pull-ups. At the bottom of each pull-up, the shoulder is all the way open. The problem is that his chin does not clear the bar for several of the reps at the beginning of his pull-up sets eg. rep one of the set of nine.

Rhabdo is capable of a sub-2 minute Fran, and could have even completed it if he had redone the incomplete reps. The point of this piece is not to make an example of Kaplan or perpetuate the Crossfit communities' obsession with fast Fran times. The point is to define terms and understand how standards should affect our WODs everyday.

Crossfit is constantly varied functional movements done at high intensity. That high intensity may cause a change in form. Your body gets tired, and your "brain turns to spaghetti" (Miller). You pull with the arms before extending the hips in the sumo deadlift high-pull, you back rounds a little in deadlift, you come up on your toes in a squat. In short your form becomes bad. A breakdown in form in a deconditioned athlete should be cause for stopping an athlete and remediating the problem. A slight breakdown in form over the course of a WOD for a conditioned athlete is usually tolerated as long as they are not in danger of injury. Proper form is the most efficient and direct method to complete a movement. Slight deviations from proper form usually just create higher metabolic requirements, as an athlete's body must work harder to accomodate the inefficient movement. 

But the standards for the movements don't change. The sumo deadlift highpull starts at the floor and finishes when the bar reaches your chin. The deadlift starts on the floor and ends when the knees and hips are in full extension with the shoulders pulled back. The squat starts with the hip and knees extended, then the crease of the hip passes below the knee, the squat ends when the hip and knees are fully extended again. Standards are how we compare times, reps, and scores: how we measure the same work done in less time, more work done in the same time, or just more work done. Standards are the rules for the field that we compete on everyday; both against others and ultimately ourselves. They are the metrics by which we continue to forge elite fitness.

Fight Gone Bad Strategy

   

Fight Gone Bad (FGB) is what many call the toughest Crossfit WOD. I agree that it is among the most difficult. I hope to give you a method by which you can deconstruct the 17 minute hell modeled after an MMA fight gone terribly wrong. See this video for an explanation of the WOD and how it got its name. Fight Gone Bad is a three round workout with a minute of rest between rounds. Five relatively light movements are each performed for a minute. Exercises include wall-ball, sumo deadlift high-pull, box jump, push-press, and row. All moves are scored for reps, except for rowing, which is instead scored for calories. I will go through the workout and discuss a strategy to maximize your score in this WOD. Please note that this is a strategy to post a higher FGB score, not necessarily to increase the amount of work you do during this WOD.

                                                                                                      

To begin, a note on the order of exercises. The order is prescribed as listed above, but many of you will do this WOD in a group setting that will not allow you to order your exercises this way. The ordering as prescribed is preferable for several reasons. You start with wall-ball which is a good general full body movement to start the heart rate going. This move does not cause much localized muscle fatigue and each exercise that follow wall-ball gets progressively more specific. Sumo deadlift high-pulls are a full body exercise, but they have a strong emphasis on the shoulders, forearms, and traps to complete the pull to the chin. Box jumps work the legs very hard, less so the upper body. Push-presses fatigue the shoulders more than any of the other exercises fatigue their emphasized muscle groups. Finally the athlete comes to the rower. The rower takes time to get in and out of, as you have to reset the screen and get your feet in and out of the straps. If you row last, you can get out of the straps during your rest minute, and you don’t have to worry about the dismount cutting into your time for the next exercise. If you cannot use the prescribed order, use the notes about each of the exercises below and your knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses to determine where you should start.

 

The first prescribed exercise in FGB is wall-ball. This exercise has a long range of motion (ROM), starting with a full squat and ending with a full overhead extension. While the athlete is moving a relatively light load (20lbs for men and 14lbs for women), the accuracy component of the exercise places a large demand on the athlete’s metabolic capacity. To wall-ball well, you must make sure that you are throwing and catching the ball in rhythm. Stand about 2-2.5 away from the wall; any closer and it will be hard to throw the ball vertically enough to hit your target; any further and it will be difficult to throw the ball horizontally enough to hit your target and still catch the ball without reaching for it. Rack the ball at your chest in front of your face without covering your field of vision. Looking up at the target, squat the ball down and explode out of the bottom, using your hip drive on the way up to propel the ball towards the target. Keep your arms extended and your eye on the ball as it leaves your hands, hits the target and descends. Catch the ball as high as possible, and let it carry you down into the squat as you descend for the next rep. Repeat. Proper rhythm will keep your breathing controlled, as you will not be wasting energy chasing the ball after each throw.

 

The next move is the sumo deadlift high-pull (SDHP). This move is a similar distance of ROM as the wall-ball, and is equally difficult, for different reasons.  The SDHP causes more localized muscle fatigue in the forearms, traps, and posterior and lateral deltoids than the wall-ball causes in any one area. The SDHP uses a greater load than the wall-ball (75 vs 20lbs), but does not have the same accuracy component, as you are not throwing and catching an external object. Instead of accuracy, the SDHP emphasizes coordination. The legs and hips must extend before the shoulder and then the arms pull the bar to the chin Make sure you keep your pulls efficient by beginning the movement with your hips to “popping” the bar up instead of using your arms to pull the bar. On the pull portion of the move, keep your elbows high in order to keep a neutral wrist and engage the upper back and shoulder muscles completely.

 

Box jumps are equally as difficult as the SDHPs and the wall-balls. They are taxing on your breathing and require some accuracy. Because each rep requires such explosive force, box jumps cause fatigue quickly, both in the leg muscles and the general cardiovascular system. The accuracy component involves making sure that your land squarely on the box. If you land too far back, with just your toes touching the box, it is difficult to come to full hip extension. If you land too far forward, you will have to jump backwards to clear the box on the way down. This extra backwards energy is an additional tax on your cardiovascular system. When box-jumping for reps, try to use the stretch reflex created by jumping up and down to quickly cycle reps. When you hit the ground, your muscles are stretched and ready to spring again. Land on the balls of your feet and immediately jump again. If you rock back onto your heels and pause between each jump, you lose some of this elasticity and rob yourself of easier reps.

 

When doing FGB for a best score, the Push-Press is the place to plan to do the most damage. The push press has the shortest range of motion of all the exercises in the workout. Since you have to move the same load as the SDHP much less distance (from the top of your chest to full lockout vs. from the floor to your chin), it is assumed that you will be able to do more reps. As in the box jump, it is best to use the stored elastic energy in the balls of your feet to drive the reps (Robb Wolf http://robbwolf.com/?p=90). For heavier reps, you should start the drive with the heel, but for high reps (exceeding 20 in one effort), you can use the stored elastic energy to increase your cycle time.

 

Rowing should be planned for as “active rest.” It takes much more effort to row 25 calories in a minute than it does to do 25 push-presses or any of the other exercises for that matter. Pick a set number to maintain across rounds and do not deviate from it more than a few calories. Use a high (7-10) damper setting, as you are only rowing for a short time. On most cardio machines, such as treadmill or an exercise bike, an athlete will only think about time, distance, and the combination of these two metrics, speed. When rowing for calories in FGB, we need to think in terms of power, making sure we maximize each stroke. Pick a strokes per calorie ratio and use that ratio to reach your goal per round. Heavy, tall, and conditioned athletes might work up to a one calorie per stroke ratio. Lighter, shorter, less conditioned athletes will want to shoot for a ratio of one calorie per 2 or 3 strokes. Make sure you have practiced getting in and out of the foot straps, as this transition will slow you down. You can also learn to dig your heels into the bottom of the stirrup to secure your feet without the use of the straps.

 

At the intensity FGB is performed, rest minutes are absolutely essential. Lying down during rest can slow your respiration and heart rate significantly. An athlete will not grow “cold” in a minute’s time, but if you do lay down for part of your rest minute, make sure you stand up and physically and mentally prep for each new round about 10 seconds before starting. You should have hydrated before FGB, so it may not be necessary to drink water, and it is not recommended to drink more than just a little fluid if you have a sensitive stomach (more liquid may make for more projectile vomiting). There is also a way to sneak some rest during each round; if you have planned the workout correctly, you may be able to finish your chosen number of reps early in each minute and take a quick breather in between exercise stations.

 

When planning scores for each exercise in each round, athletes should set realistic and informed score goals. Athletes should plan to do the same number of wall-balls, SDHPs, and box jumps in each round, based on their relatively equal difficulty. This number will decrease over rounds. The number of reps of wall-balls, SDHPs, and box jumps within a round may deviate somewhat based on each athlete’s strengths and weaknesses, but the scores should be pretty close within each round. Plan to do a relatively large number of push presses each round, with the amount decreasing over each round as you fatigue. Plan to do the same number of rowing calories each round, as this will be your active rest. Plan these scores ahead of time and stick to them; you don’t need to be worrying about the number of reps averaging out in the middle of the workout.

 

Post any thoughts on this strategy or FGB in general to comments.

Strength WOD Strategy

Strength WODs require some strategy, but are relatively simple to plan compared to metcon WODs. The objective is obvious: lift more weight than you did last time; and if you haven’t done that lift before, lift as much as you can. Let’s look at the mainsite WOD on Tuesday September 2 (080902): Push Jerk 3-3-3-3-3 reps. Some read this WOD to mean set across (eg 205lbs for five sets). These people are in the minority. Sets across are used less often in a Crossfit mainsite strength WOD and more often in a “Starting Strength” style strength WOD. Sets across help build strength endurance and mental endurance, but may keep you from demonstrating your true potential. For instance you may be able to do 3 reps of a push jerk at 220 lbs, but only for one set. You will have to drop the weight to a load that you can handle across all five sets.

 

The second way to interpret Push Jerk 3-3-3-3-3 reps is to do a progression. Begin by picking the maximum weight you want to lift in the prescribed rep range. If you have done the WOD before, look at your previous Personal Record (PR). If you did that PR with correct form and ROM, shoot to add weight to it by the end of the WOD. How much weight you ask? It depends. If the movement uses relatively small muscles, and therefore relatively light weight (eg. press), then an increase of 5-10 pounds is recommended. If the movement uses larger muscles and therefore larger weights (eg. deadlift), then an increase of 10-20 lbs may be in order. Olympic lifts, while using large muscles, are as much speed and technique based as they are strength based. The many parts moving quickly makes more margin for error; just because you are stronger does not necessarily mean you are instantly going to add 30 pounds to your clean in month's time. Once you have become somewhat adept at the movement patterns for the Oly lifts, smaller increases of 5-10 pounds will be the goal.  The goaled increase also depends on how long it has been since you last attempted a PR in that particular lift and rep range. Gains described above are reasonable over a 1-2 month period. If you have done the lift more recently, be more conservative with your goal. If you have not done the lift in longer than 2 months, be more aggressive with your goal; Crossfit programming has the unique ability to make an athlete stronger in seemingly “unrelated” movements.

 

Start by warming up with the bar, “greasing the groove” for the movement (Pavel). After warming up with just the bar, do two weighted warmup sets. Your first warmup set should be approximately twice the number of reps that the WOD calls for. So if the WOD calls for all sets at 3 reps, do 5-6 reps in your first warmup set. For your second warmup set, use a weight that is at or just above the rep range for the WOD. Do you warm-ups with a deep range of motion; do not exaggerate the movement, but also do not just go “barely legal.” Start to get your game face on and get ready to destroy your old PR.

 

Your opening set should be 40-80 pounds off your goal set. The type of movement you are doing dictates the size of jumps to make. If you are doing a big strength move such as a deadlift or a back squat, you may make 15-20 pound jumps for your first four sets and then curb the jumps back to 10 pound increases for the last few sets. Another option might be to make 10-15 pound constant jumps for the duration of the workout. If your goal is to set a new deadlift PR, then it not a good idea to burn yourself out with 5 pound jumps. Jumps in weight while training 1-3 reps of a Oly lift, such as a hang clean, may be 10 pounds for the first 4 or 5 sets and 2.5-5 pound jumps on the last 2-3 sets, or you may make 5 pound jumps across all sets. You are not getting as worn out by the work volume of Hang Cleans as you are in a deadlift, and a little more speed may allow you to make another jump. Keep in mind that these are rough guidelines built around the typical weights that people use in the gym. If your 1RM deadlift is 100lbs, you may be better suited to opening at 70 lbs and making 5 pound jumps over a seven set workout of singles.

 

So if you are shooting to do 205lbs for 3 reps in the WOD described above, you should start at 165-185lbs. This opening weight will allow you to make even, methodical 5-10 lb increases on your way to your goal. If you cannot make jumps in even intervals, make heavier jumps earlier on in the WOD. You do not want to go crazy with increases in weight on your last two sets and completely miss a new PR due to poor planning. Over each of these sets, your body will become acclimated to the weight lifted. Your muscles will become warm and ready to lift heavier each set, and your mind will be acclimated to struggle with each load. By the time you reach your max attempt, you will be both physically and mentally ready to go.

 

Rest is nearly as important as the work being done. Rest 2-5 minutes between sets in a strength WOD. Two or three minutes should be sufficient on the first two or three sets, but you will want to increase the amount of rest that you take as the workout goes. If you are new to lifting heavy, you can time your rest periods, but timing is not necessary. You will be able to feel your blood pressure fall, your breathing slow, and your body temperature drop after each set back to an acceptable level before making another attempt. How you feel is the real indicator of how much rest you need between sets, and it is best for novices to start to listen to their bodies’ cues. Sometimes rest periods of more than five minutes are called for, especially if you are a very experienced lifter who is attempting a new PR on a 1,3,5, or even 10 rep max. At an advanced level, the body takes much more to return to homeostasis after the absolute all out effort of such an attempt.

 

What techniques do you use to set new PRs? Contribute anything you have on strength WOD strategy.

Tired

As a competitive person and a future CF Games competitor, I'm writing going to be providing some musings on the sport of fitness and strategy. "I'm tired (beat, blasted, blitzed , cooked, and so on down the alphabetical list of synonyms)" is something that we hear alot at CFDV. That's good, people are pushing hard at their WODs. I like to say you're only tired from one move at a time. Each mode (exercise, weight, and rep range) has a specific limit that is independent of other modes. So what does this mean when you're struggling through a Fran? It means once you finish your thrusters, don't put down the bar, hold your head in hands and think, "I'm tired," how am I going to do any pullups? Instead think "those thrusters were hard, but I'm only tired from doing thrusters" and do at least a few pullups. Respiratory capacity (heavy breathing) and localized and general fatigue (burning muscles and that pukie- feeling) will determine how many reps you will be able to do, but you will be surprised at the recovery that is inherent in each mode change. By changing modes immediately instead of resting in between allows you to take advantage of this recovery and ultimately increase your power output. (This post is based on one of Greg Glassmans taped lectures).

Introduction to Strategy

The Fight Gone Bad on August 29 got me thinking about strategy. Some say to attack a workout all out and without heed; just go hard, get into it, and see what happens. Others take a step back, analyze their capabilities, and pace a workout according to a plan to get them to a time or score they want. There are pros and cons to strategizing or gaming a WOD.

 If you’re going to strategize a WOD the first thing you have to look at the type of the WOD. Is it a strength or metabolic conditioning (metcon) WOD? If it’s metcon, is it task priority (completing a certain amount of work in an unspecified amount of time eg. FRAN), time priority (completing an unspecified amount of work in a specified amount of time eg. Cindy)? If it’s time priority metcon are there regular intervals (eg. Tabata Something Else), and/or specified rest periods (eg Fight Gone Bad)?

Strategizing also depends on you and your level of experience both with Crossfit and the specific WOD. What is your current fitness level? What is your tolerance for discomfort both physiological and psychological? How long have you been Crossfitting? Have you done the WOD before; if so how many times? If you’ve done the WOD in the past, under what conditions, and with what substitutions/ assistance?

 The above questions are a list to get you started in thinking about WOD strategy. I will be posting every week or so on strategy for different types of WODs and on different named WODs. Please, please, please light up the message boards and contribute to the discussion. Thanks.