Power Athlete’s first three CrossFit Open Warm Ups have been viewed over 20,000 times! The feed back has been nothing short of positive and informative for the athletes and affiliates who have put these warm ups into action. Thank you, coaches and athletes, we hope this approach is empowering you to outperform and overachieve throughout the Open competition!

I know what some of you were thinking after 15.3, “Lemme ask you something … I got a couple of good ones in there, right? It wasn’t like I got my ass kicked, right?” And the rest of you were looking around after the announcement, “That’s what I love about the Open, man. I get older, the movements stay the same. Alright, alright, alright.”

Well, good news is Open 15.4 is right up the hard chargers wheelhouse. Especially my grandmother. But, hell, she’s quicker and tougher than you! (Course she’s 6-3, 250, runs a 4.5 40.)

CROSSFIT OPEN 15.4

Complete as many reps as possible in 8 minutes of:
3 handstand push-ups
3 cleans
6 handstand push-ups
3 cleans
9 handstand push-ups
3 cleans
12 handstand push-ups
6 cleans
15 handstand push-ups
6 cleans
18 handstand push-ups
6 cleans
21 handstand push-ups
9 cleans
Etc., adding 3 reps to the handstand push-up each round, and 3 reps to the clean every 3 rounds.

Men clean 185 lb.
Women clean 125 lb.

CROSSFIT OPEN 15.4 PRE-WARM UP-WARM UP:

Look, I got it all planned out. Most workouts with handstand push ups like this never get past a punch or two before they’re broken up, know what I’m saying? 8 minutes may feel like a lifetime, but it isn’t. Invest in a solid 15 minutes of jump ropes, arm swing drills, rowing, or the Assault Bike so you can be going into the warm up ring breaking a sweat.

I don’t care how pumped you’re feeling on Game Day, put this time in to calm the nerves and get your mind right. Come the 4 minute mark, I don’t want you disappearing into your cave. When you’re coach asks you how it going, I want you to respond, “Fixin’ to be a lot better, man!”

DYNAMIC MOVEMENT PREP:

Round 1:

• Alternating Contralateral Dead bugs– :30
• Scapula Depressions w/ 2 count at the top- 10 reps
• Leg Cradle Lunge with Lateral Flexion and Extension – 10 yards
• Inch Worm Hands Only – 5 reps
• Child’s Pose Progression 1 – 3 RT/ 3 LT

Round 2:

• Band Resisted Contralateral Dead Bugs– :30
• Scap Pull Up Hold with Hip Twist– 10 reps
• Knee Hug to Horizontal Lunge Twist– 10 yards
• Contralateral Inch Worms -5 reps
• Child’s Pose Moose Antler – 3 RT/ 3 LT

15.4 POWER ATHLETE WARM UP:

MOVEMENTS AND ENERGY SYSTEMS

The approach to this is simple: Don’t let your mouth write a check your body can’t cash. There are only so many handstand push ups in the chamber, so we are going to get your stabilizers going and then take care of the elbow.  Get a feel for this new standard during the :10 Iso-Holds. This may be something new you’ll have to adjust too, but if you have been rocking the kick-ass over head iso-work like the Handstand Hold with Leg Drop and all the upper-body plyos Field Strong has been putting you through 15.4 will be just another day in the park.

I have to get your HR up before the technical movement of the Clean for that lactate pump and to integrate perfect bar path. In order for us to do this and not burn out the arms we are bringing back our old friend the Athletic Position Burpee. These are not your typical burpees, these are what my grandmother did back in her day. Please, do not perform a push up with this movement. Save it for the wall. I strongly suggest that you jump as high as you can with full hip extension for each of these Athletic Burpee windows. Why? Not only to begin to fire your CNS, but to integrate the full hip extension into the following movement pattern.

Each round gradually increases the stress all working up towards the 185# and gets you ready to max out on handstand pushups. We will not do handstand push ups to warm up, we will warm up to do handstand push ups and cleans.

#GetIt

CROSSFIT OPEN 15.4 POWER ATHLETE WARM UP: 

• :10- Handstand hold
• Pillar to Plank Press Up– 4 reps
• :15-  Athletic Burpee
• Empty Bar Hang Cleans– 10 reps

:30 Rest and Load Up

• :10- Handstand hold
• Pillar to Plank Press Up– 6 reps
• :15-  Athletic Burpee
• BB Hang PC– 3×3 @ 95#/65# (Drop bar b/w sets, rest no more than :05-:10)

:30 Rest and Load Up

• :10- Handstand hold
• Pillar to Plank Press Up– 8 reps
• :15-  Athletic Burpee
• Power Clean– 2×3 @ 135#/95# (Drop bar b/w sets, rest no more than :10-:15)

:30 Rest and Load Up

• :10- Handstand hold
• Pillar to Plank Press Up– 10 reps
• :15-  Athletic Burpee
• Power Clean– 1×3 @ 185#/125#

Rest 5-12 minutes before 15.4 and be sure to include Child’s Pose Progression 1 and Child’s Pose Moose Antler and hydrate during your active rest before taking this on!

Although I understand the heat of competition and you do not want to give your rivals your preparation tools, please share these Open warm ups, Power Athlete Radio and the coaching tools provided by the Power Athlete coaches with everyone. Why?

It’d be a lot cooler if you did.

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