“What do I do now that The 2024 CrossFit Open and Quarterfinals are over?” This is a question that 95% of CrossFit athletes are asking themselves right now. If you want to improve your positioning on the worldwide leaderboard next year, the first thing you should do is take a step back and analyze your weaknesses from these two competitions. Did you get beat up from the cardio of 24.2, did you struggle with your gymnastics during 24.3, or was your pacing really bad at the start of 24.1? Review the inadequacies of your training for a more effective and pain free offseason.
Let’s take a look at the workouts of the 2024 CrossFit Open. In the first workout, 24.1, pacing the dumbbell snatches and burpees was key. If you struggled in this area try using your smart watch to help monitor your heart rate. The constant feedback from your watch will allow you to correlate how your body feels when you are on the verge of pushing too hard, too quickly.
Now what about muscle fatigue? If your lower back was smoked from the deadlifts during the second workout of 24.2, try talking to your coach or your physical therapist to help work on form and lower back strength. Or if you really struggled with chest to bar pull ups and bar muscle ups in the third workout it’s time to start implementing midline and lat strengthening into your program this year. These workouts can highlight inefficiencies in your movement patterns and by enlisting your performance team you can turn those limitations into strengths!
For athletes that were happy with their performance this year, now is the time to reset, recover and build a strong foundation for the next phase of your training program. For example, If an athlete wants to improve their olympic lifting skills they should build a strong back squat and front squat. Were your gymnastics a little shaky this year? Have your performance physical therapist program advanced midline control drills for injury prevention and performance enhancement.
If you have no idea where to start, pick one thing and talk to your coach or performance physio today! They are an excellent resource to help you develop into the best athlete you can be all season long.
Move Stronger,
Dr. Tom Long, PT, DPT, OCS, CF-L1
Physical Therapist, Vital Force Physio
This is not intended to be medical advice. It is for educational purposes only. Please consult your Physical Therapist, Physician or Healthcare Provider before starting any new exercise program.
