Crossfit Open Tips - Marek Vácha will give you tips for open workout 23.3!

Author Marek Vácha and RUFF training team

Here we go! The last week of CrossFit Open 2023 is here and with it another interesting workout that will test your upper body strength endurance. And both in gymnastic and strength elements.

So what is it all about?

WOD 23.3 consists of the following combination of exercises:

Starting with a 6-minute time cap, complete as many reps as possible of:

• 5 Wall Walks
• 50 Double-Unders
• 15 Snatches (43/29 kg)
• 5 Wall Walks
• 50 Double-Unders
• 12 Snatches (61/43 kg)

*If completed before the 6-minute time cap, add 3 minutes to the time cap and complete:

• 20 Strict Handstand Push-Ups
• 50 Double-Unders
• 9 Snatches (83/56 kg)

*If completed before the 9-minute time cap, add 3 minutes to the time cap and complete:

• 20 Strict Handstand Push-Ups
• 50 Double-Unders
• 6 Snatches (102/70 kg)

... a given workout consists of three parts, with the difficulty of each part gradually increasing. If you complete the first part in 6 minutes, you can continue to the second part. Similarly, you have up to 9 minutes to complete the second section of the WOD, if you complete it within this time limit, you can move on to the last section.

Warm-up

Unlike the previous two workouts, this will be a much shorter workout for most people, but a thorough warm-up will be just as important. For the following WOD, the most important thing in terms of warm-up will be to get your upper body sufficiently limbered up and warmed up. In terms of physical preparation, we will divide the warm up into the following 3 parts:

1. General body activation, warm up.

As in the previous weeks, the first part of the warm up will focus on the general activation of the body, the warm up. For example, you can try the following combination:

EMOM x 6-9min. @easy pace

• 1st min. = Row Erg
• 2nd min = Ski Erg
• 3rd min. = Single-Unders

... so 2-3 sets where you practice 60 seconds on each station.

2. The mobility part, getting moving

Try to pay extra attention to this part this week and try to move your wrists, shoulders and thoracic spine as best you can. You'll feel the difference in the following workout, as you can perform each movement more efficiently if you have a better range of motion in the areas involved... and in a combination like this, where you're using similar muscle groups for all the exercises, that plays an even bigger role.

1. Wrist Routine x 3-5 min.

• You can try the exercises from the following video:

2. 2-3 Sets:

• Kneeling Thoracic Spine Extension x 5 reps @5-10s.
• Thoracic Bridge x 5/5 reps @3-5s. endurance in the top position always

3. Specific Warm up

The last part will again be a race specific work out of the combination. Don't forget to also try the new standard for Strict HSPU in this part, the exercise in question will probably be the biggest challenge of the combination for most people. So take some time in the warm-up to try it out.

1. Snatch Warm Up

• Warm up to OHS position, try Squat Snatch
• Step up to the final weight = the one you think you'll get to ... for most people it will probably be the third round weights

2. 1 Set

• 30s. Air Bike @medium heavy pace
• 2-3 Wall Walks
• 20 Double-Unders
• 5-7 Snatches (43/29 kg)

- 1 min. rest

• 30s. Air Bike @medium-heavy pace
• 2-3 Wall Walks
• 20 Double-Unders
• 3-5 Snatches (61/43 kg)

- 1 min. rest

• 30s. Air Bike @medium-heavy pace
• 1-5 Strict Handstand Push-Ups
• 20 Double-Unders
• 1-3 Snatches (83/56 kg)

... of course if your limit is the weight on the axle in the third round, no need to try to get it over your head at all costs, in part b) ... end up at a weight that's hard for you but still technical.

• then allow yourself about 5-10 minutes to get into workout 23.3

Game plan & key points of the workout:

You can see at a glance that the combination will be very demanding on your upper body. Shoulder and arm pain combined with shortness of breath in the workout will not be pleasant, again it is good to take this into account and try to mentally prepare for it.

Another important point is to realize which movement is likely to be the most challenging for you and choose your strategy accordingly. For most people this will be either Strict Handstand Push-Ups or Snatch. If you know that the problem for you will be the SHSPU in the third round, a good strategy for you will probably be to try to finish rounds 1 & 2 as quickly as possible (don't skimp so much on the snatch) so that you then have the most time to master those 20 SHSPUs. If, on the other hand, you know Snatch will be a problem, then maybe try going slower on the very second axis... then get through the SHSPUs more efficiently and leave yourself plenty of time for the next axis.

Below are the key points to each exercise from my perspective:

Wall Walks

1. No need to sprint
2. Focus on quality positions and working efficiently with the exercise:

• try to work through the prolate arms
• don't do a full push-up, go over the knees

3. find your rhythm, ideally 3-4 steps to the wall and 2-3 steps back to the ground
4. save your shoulder strength for Strict Handstand Push-Ups

Double Unders

1. As with Wall Walks, there is no need to sprint
2. try to avoid no reps = it's better to wait a while before you get stuck
3. speed of DUs is not a factor, try to relax and save your shoulders for harder exercises
4. don't be afraid to split them into 2 sets, better than fatiguing your shoulders

Snatch

1. first axis try to go for 2-3 sets ideally
2. the rest of the rounds go fast singles (discard the axis after each repetition), try to save the strength in your shoulders
3. if your goal is to finish the WOD, time can be picked up on the 3rd and 4th axes ... not at the beginning
4. try to go Power Snatch for as long as possible, Squat Snatch is only suitable on, for you, the hardest axis
   • if you want to finish the wod, try the last Snatch for 9 reps in Squat position = make sure you are ready enough for the next set

Strict HSPU

• if you know you'll struggle on Strict HSPU = go faster at the start so you have plenty of time for them later (maybe try 2nd axis after a few Touch&Go reps - 4-4-2-2)
• put your hands on the line every time before you go into a handstand (new standard, unusual position for you)
• don't go into failure, try to always have 1-2 reps in reserve
• in case you can't do SHSPUs or do not do enough of them, try to get the best time in the first part (better time break, better result)

Is your goal to make it to the next part of the CrossFit season, the quarterfinals?

... if so, your goal should most likely be to get to the third round in that workout, with:

• the top 10% threshold for the men will probably be somewhere towards the end of the third round, if you get through the Double-Unders and ideally do at least some reps on the axle, that should be enough
• for women, the 10% threshold will most likely be somewhere around Strict Handstand Push-Ups, if you can get above 15 reps or so, that should also be enough

This suggests that you should have the first round of the workout done by around 2:15, then the second round by 5:30 ... if you know you will be limited by SHSPUs, then more time on them will be to your advantage.

Good luck!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us on our IG - riseupfromfailures_training.

Want to start CrossFit training yourself? Feel free to contact us at coaches@riseupfromfailures.com or on Instagram riseupfromfailures_training.