CrossFit Open 20.1 Strategy & Tips
Videos by the Invictus Athlete Team
Two classic CrossFit movements – ground-to-overhead and burpees – rear their heads in the first workout of the Open season and we have different strategy videos depending on your level of experience with competitive CrossFit and your fitness goals.
Competitive CrossFitters
If you’ve been following the Invictus Competition program for some time or any of the other Invictus Athlete Programs, or if you have aspirations to make it to the CrossFit Games, check out the Tips for competitive athletes video from Invictus Athlete Coaches CJ Martin, Tino Marini, and Hunter Britt.
Beginner to Intermediate CrossFitters
If you’re pretty new to competitive CrossFit, or you just do it for “fun”, and are looking for an approach for 20.1, here are a couple of options for you, especially if you’re not as comfortable with a barbell and if you don’t have aspirations to qualify for the CrossFit Games. In the videos below, Justin and Bern of Invictus Boston demonstrate the workout using two different strategies for GTO and burpees.
Fresh-Perspective CrossFitters
Coaches Kirsten and Nick give you options if you have some other life factors – like injury history and lifestyle goals – to consider. Make sure to check that out if you want to participate but not cause damage to your body or derail your plan to reach your health and fitness goals. These programming alternatives are intended to inspire and serve anyone that wants to participate in the Open but may need a fresh-perspective and customized workout options that better align with their injury history or personal fitness goals. Maybe a barbell OH lift doesn’t align with your current mobility? Or a bilateral movement compounds an old injury? Let’s explore other options available for your Open fitness participation!
No matter which option you choose, the big takeaway here is to go into your workout warm! Do not expect to do your best if you’re using the first few sets to warm up. Also, you can’t fail a burpee so make sure to push there. This will end up being a burpee workout for most athletes.
20.1 Tips for Competitive Athletes
Coaches Hunter Britt and Tino Marini discuss their coaching tips for CrossFit Open 20.1. Whether you’re throwing down at your local Friday Night Lights or just getting started in your home gym, they break down how you can get the best score possible out of 20.1
https://youtu.be/em_Ii8zecgk
20.1 Tips for Beginner & Intermediate Athletes
What’s your approach for 20.1? Should you break up that ground to overhead? Snatch or clean and jerk? Sit down with the Bern Prince and Justin Wright as they talk beginner and intermediate strategy for 20.1.
https://youtu.be/frFhpEuG_EI
20.1 Tips for Fresh-Perspective CrossFit Athletes
This video is on our IGTV @invictus_sandiego. Check there for a fresh perspective on making these movements work for your body’s needs and fitness goals.
20.1 Tips for Adapting THE CROSSFIT OPEN
https://youtu.be/q12Aa9-mtwo
Written by Alec Zirkenbach
The Open has started! Here are some suggestions and tips for adapting 20.1. My adaptation recommendations will be grouped by how the athlete is going to complete the workout: Standing or Seated. Then by where the major impairment is located on the body for “Standing” athletes: Upper Extremity or Lower Extremity. As always, make smart choices for yourself or your athletes based on their specific conditions and fitness levels.
General Guidance For 20.1 All Adaptive Athletes
Keep the same number of total rounds (10) and time cap (15mins), but consider lowering the weight, substituting the barbell or another external load, and also reducing the repetition scheme to 6 ground-to-overhead and 8 burpees.
Make sure your movement adaptations can be completed without much transition time. For example, a burpee could be adapted to floor-to-box transfers for seated athletes, but that transition time in and out of the chair may take too much time, thus affecting the overall intensity.
Standing Upper Extremity Adaptations for 20.1
Consider decreasing the barbell weight by about 10-20% depending on you ability cycle barbell snatches or clean and jerks. Most likely, grip will become an issue and if lifting a barbell is a safety concern, substitute the barbell for a single dumbbell and alternate hands each round.
Standing Lower Extremity Adaptations
Again, consider decreasing the barbell weight by about 10-20%. With all lower-body impairments, use a box for safety in case you need to sit or lose balance. Step-overs for the burpees are allowed and there should be no penalty for touching the bar when going across to the other side. If jumping over or stepping over the bar seems too challenging, then complete conventional burpees without the bar.
Seated Adaptations
10 Lap-to-Overhead (65/45lb.)
5 U-Turns (20″) or Knee Burpees
The ground-to-overhead will change to a lap-to-overhead with the Rx weight starting at an estimated 65lbs for men and 45lbs for women. Please make sure you are using some form of lapmat to avoid skin irritation and abrasions.
For the seated burpee, there are many options and you should find one that works best for you. Athletes with more hip function could complete knee burpees or low-high transfers but should reduce the repetitions to five (5). Athletes who want to stay in their chair should complete 20” wide u-turns (formerly called “box u-turns”). U-turns will enable you to keep moving and not lose any time transferring in and out of your chair. Do not use a med ball slam this time as an adaptation for the burpee. That movement pattern is too similar to the lap-to-overhead.
U-Turn video demo
Knee Burpee demo (start at 1:41 into the video)
Adapting Assistance for Workouts
If you have any questions about adapting workouts during the Open, please contact me and I will be happy to guide you through the process [alec@crossfitinvictus.com].
More tips for CrossFit Open Workout 20.1…
Invictus Athlete Programs
If you want an in-depth strategy and a great training program join Invictus Athlete. If you’re over 35, we’re also giving age group strategy for our Invictus Masters. Don’t forget that many of our online programs are now on SugarWOD!
