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CrossFit Open workout 22.2 has arrived and if you thought things were going to get easier after 22.1, think again. Fortunately, we brought in one of CrossFit's best in Noah Ohlsen to give you his strategies for successfully navigating the second workout of the Open.
CrossFit Open Workout 22.2
Here's the workout:
Ascending and descending rep scheme 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 for time.
Couplet of:
- Deadlifts
- Bar-facing burpees
Time cap: 10 minutes
Details:
Weight for men: 225 lbs.
Weight for women: 155 lbs.
Noah Ohlsen's 22.2 Strategy
It’s a pretty simple workout in terms of strategy. It’s almost designed in a way that the breaks are chosen for you. Normally, if it was a big set of reps, I’d want to choose how I wanted to break it up. But knowing it was a set of 1, set of 2, set of 3, and so on, I was able to use that as my strategy for how I wanted to break it.
I’ve been known on some workouts to come out a little hot. This week I wanted to make sure I didn’t fall into that trap because it’d be super easy to go hard in the earlier, lower rep ranges and burn out. I tried from the very beginning to be smooth and very intentional about the way I did my burpees because I feel like that was where the workout could really cause you to blow up by the halfway point.
My strategy as a good deadlifter was to keep the burpees nice and smooth and go all the way up to the 10’s unbroken. Once I reached that peak, I was hoping it would feel easier coming back down and I'd have a good finishing kick. That’s exactly how it played out for me.
If deadlifts aren't great for you, it would be ok to break those in half during those middle-range reps and keep the burpees smooth and fast the whole time.
It’d be super easy to go hard in the earlier, lower rep ranges and burn out. I tried from the very beginning to be smooth and very intentional about the way I did my burpees because I felt like that was where the workout could really cause you to blow up by the halfway point.
22.2 Warm-Up
I’d go with a general, full-body warmup. I did some stretching and some rowing. Make sure you get that posterior chain activated. I love doing monster band walks and glute bridges to activate my glutes. I also recommend doing some dead bugs to activate my core.
I did a few warmup reps of deadlifts, adding some weight to the bar as I went.
Also, be sure to practice the transitions. Every round you end up alternating which side of the bar you can start your deadlift on. On the round of 1 when you do your deadlift and burpee jump over, you don't have to step back over the bar. Wherever you land, you can start your deadlift from there. So, that’s something to practice, making sure you’re aware as soon as you jump over and you finish that set of burpees, you can just reach down and grab the bar.
Make sure you get that posterior chain activated. I love doing monster band walks and glute bridges to activate my glutes. I also recommend doing some dead bugs to activate the core.
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Noah Ohlsen's Tips for 22.2 Success
1. The Deadlift
If you’re a strong deadlifter, take advantage of that. Being able to do 1’s up to 10’s and back down to 1’s unbroken should be pretty simple to manage. Your rep speed can also be key. If you’re taking a lot of time in between reps, having to stand up and pause, that’s going to chew up time as opposed to being able to cycle through them quickly (while obviously meeting the standard of locking everything out at the top).
Deadlifts used to be one of my worst movements. I spent a lot of time working on how to make that movement work better for me. One of the biggest things that helped was instead of trying to retract my scapula to keep my back flat, I try to really engage my lats and press them down into my body. Imagine that you have tennis balls in between your arms and the side of your body and you’re trying to squeeze them. That changed the game for me. Now, I’m able to keep my back super flat through those deadlifts. Finally, make sure you’re utilizing your hamstrings, not your lower back.
If you’re really fast on burpees and not as strong on deadlifts, you can break the reps in half in the mid-rep ranges (from 6 up to 10 and back down to 6) and do the rest of your deadlifts unbroken. As long as your fast on burpees, you can make up that time when you break your deadlifts.
If you’re really fast on burpees and not as strong on deadlifts, you can break the reps in half in the mid-rep ranges (from 6 up to 10 and back down to 6) and do the rest of your deadlifts unbroken.
2. The Burpees
On the burpees, again in those early, lower-rep ranges, you might be tempted to jump up right from the beginning. I would recommend going with a step-up technique early that’s going to allow you to stay smooth and controlled. Then at the very end when you find that finishing kick, go ahead and shift into the jump-up technique.
3. Start Smooth, Finish Fast
Keep it smooth and controlled out of the gates, but when you’re down in those final, lower-rep ranges, there’s nothing to wait for. As soon as your feet hit the ground, even if they’re a little offset, just pick that bar up and finish. You’re seconds away from being done with the workout. You don’t want to finish with any regrets.
Best of luck. You guys are going to do great. I'll see you on the leaderboard.
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If you missed them, check out Sara Sigmundsdóttir's pro tips for workout 22.1.