21.2 is 17.1!
If you choose the right version of 21.2 for you, the load should be light enough to allow for a steady pace throughout, making the unavoidable stimulus for all-comers extreme and increasing metabolic distress!
Almost all the versions of this workout use snatches and some version of a burpee, so the same strategies apply to all — especially around pacing.
Pacing
A big lesson from 17.1: Proper pacing and strategy were key to this one. We heard many tales of people going out of the gate too fast and then adjusting for their next attempt by adopting a more consistent and restrained pace from Round 1, and having greater success.
Pacing does not mean to make it comfortable, but rather to find the fastest pace at which you can keep moving throughout the workout. This can be tricky to find, so start a little steadier than you might want to and then, if you’re still feeling good on the round of 30, pick it up a little.
Snatches
This year, you can switch hands at any point after you hit lockout at the top of each rep.
If you’re going for a competitive time, switch on the way down and adjust as needed in the higher sets. If you’re just wanting to finish this one, do them in quick singles from the ground – you will not lose much, especially if this means you do not have to stop moving in the later rounds.
Either way, maintaining control of the dumbbell on the way down,while also letting gravity do some work for you, is a better strategy than dropping the dumbbell. And, whether on the way up or down, keeping the dumbbell close to the body is the most efficient.
Important things to remember on the snatches:
- Both heads of the dumbbell have to touch the ground on every rep.
- Your free hand/ arm cannot make contact with your body at any time during the rep.
Burpees
During the burpees, jumping back and forward provides very little advantage in return for the toll it takes metabolically. Instead, jumping back or even stepping back and stepping forward for every rep will work just fine for 99 percent of us.
One and Done?
In 2017, many people said that this was a challenging workout to repeat as the snatches caused a few days of lower back soreness and fatigue post-workout. Using more leg drive on the snatches can help. However, that’s the same leg drive you need for burpees, so it will be inevitable that the back gets taxed pulling from the ground 150 times on the snatches. This means you want to create a solid plan for yourself going in and give it everything you’ve got on that first attempt!
Let’s Do This!
According to Beyond the Whiteboard, in 2017, across the global community, 44 percent of men and 27 percent of women were able to finish this workout within the 20-minute cap.
Team, it’s 5 years later! Let’s set a goal across all divisions to crush that!
Go get ‘em and good luck!
To learn more about human movement and the CrossFit methodology, visit CrossFit Training.
To participate in the Open, visit Games.CrossFit.com
Nicole Carroll's Tips for Open Workout 21.2