Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

[QUOTE=Jayme Gruber;1251084]They said you couldn't scale and go to the next round for masters, so people didn't scale, then they changed their mind after the fact. I think it's really messed up. They should give those that didn't scale the option to redo the workout scaled now.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I know 2 women in the 50 age group who were on track to make the qualifier, thought scaling wasn't allowed so didn't scale the MU wod, entered no score, and then after the fact it was announced they could have scaled and stayed in it. Now in the big picture it doesn't matter because they had no chance of moving up to top 20 for the games, as none of these scaled people do, but it looks pretty bad for HQ--in what serious athletic competition do they change the rules after a game's already been played?!!

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

I was under the impression that anyone who scaled any of the workouts would not be eligible to move on to the master's qualifier, no matter how awesome they might be. I would have scaled 15.5, I did terrible RX'd (14:52)

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

[QUOTE=Don Werbeck;1251103]I was under the impression that anyone who scaled any of the workouts would not be eligible to move on to the master's qualifier, no matter how awesome they might be. I would have scaled 15.5, I did terrible RX'd (14:52)[/QUOTE]That was the original communication. Then they changed it mid way through, after week 3 I believe.

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

Seems like HQ has some hitches in their giddy-up. Can't believe that they did not think about gaming the workouts, scaled vs rx and how that would workout. I thought that the open was better than the last years.. Getting tougher.. had only 4 or 5 games athletes make it into the top 20 of the open. 15 new guys in the 45+..

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

Next up is the Masters Qualifier.

Last year's Masters Qualifier had 2 wods with significantly harder skills than the Open: Amanda (9-7-5 MU & Snatch) and the triplet of row-HSPU-DU.

In the Games they had handstand walking, and there were a few competitors who simply did not have this skill and could only manage a few feet.

I think it is possible for HQ to program in handstand walking to prevent that sort of thing happening this year.

So here is how I think it could be done:
AMRAP 8
20ft unbroken handstand walk
1 snatch 155lbs + 3 OHS

I think 20ft is a long enough distance that requires some level of mastery of HSW, and is short enough that it can be easily measured and filmed in most CF boxes. In the games, the 55+ age groups did OH walking lunges with a heavy med ball, and I think they could do plate or med ball OHWL. Pairing HSW with relatively heavy snatch + OHS tests skill with olympic lifts, mobility, and ability to handle shoulder fatigue. 1 round should take less than a minute, but only a few (like Vic McQuade, I'm sure) will be able to keep up the pace without failing on the HSW and/or SN+OHS.



I also think we will have:
-A long chipper
-A 1-3RM of snatch or OHS variation
-Burpees
-MU and/or bar muscle ups
-HSPU

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

From the rulebook:

[quote]
9. THE OPEN: SCALING
a. The prescribed Open workouts released for each competitive division (ie: open Individual men and women, and all Masters age divisions)
will be accompanied by a scaled version of that workout. Athletes unable to perform a workout as prescribed may opt to choose their division’s
scaled workout. Athletes may finish the Open with any combination of scaled and prescribed workouts contributing to their score.
b. In every division, an Athlete who chooses to perform a scaled workout will be ranked on the Leaderboard relative to all other Athletes
performing the scaled version of the workout but below all Athletes who performed that workout “as prescribed.”
c. A separate “Scaled Only” tab on the Leaderboard will rank Athletes relative to all other Athletes in their division who perform ONLY the
scaled workouts throughout the Open.
d. [B]Athletes who select a scaled workout in the Open will not be eligible for advancement to the next stage of the competition as Individual
competitors. [/B]An Athlete’s score from a scaled workout cannot be counted toward the Team’s score. However, an Athlete who performs
scaled workouts is still eligible to participate for their Affiliate Team as long as they meet all the necessary Team requirements.
[/quote]

Where did you hear that mixed RX/scaled athletes get to advance to the qualifier?

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

[QUOTE=Christopher Morris;1251110]Where did you hear that mixed RX/scaled athletes get to advance to the qualifier?[/QUOTE]

[url]http://games.crossfit.com/announcements/note-regarding-masters-and-scaling[/url]

Posted 3/19

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

[quote]
Athletes in all Masters categories who choose to perform the scaled version of Workout 15.4, or previously chose to scale Workout 15.3, will still be eligible to advance to the Masters Qualifier. They will be ranked below all athletes who performed the Rx’d versions, but will not be ineligible for the next stage of competition. [/quote]

So one rep of the Rx'd workout gets you ranked higher than a bazillion reps of the scaled workout? At first blush it seems fair enough (for any one workout), but it definitely throws a wrench in strategy over the course of the Open.

On the leaderboard:
Australia women 40-44 has an athlete ranked 18th who did one scaled workout.
Canada East - 11th place athlete
Europe - 16th place
Latin America - 6th place
...etc...

I'm seeing a lot fewer athletes ranking in range for the qualifier on the men's side. This rule change seems to have affected the women's competition more than the men's.

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

[QUOTE=Richard Colon;1251004]If I'm reading this correctly, you are saying that the make or break points on 15.5 are going to be based on strength? I disagree. Sam won the announcement solely based on her engine, not on her strength or ability to "handle" the weights. I know you specifically said that to the elite athletes, the thrusters are light, but both Annie and Camille have an easier time with that weight than Sam does, because they are both stronger - yet Sam won the workout, handily.

For the 90% you mention, putting the bar down isn't a matter of handling the 95/65. It is the metabolic insanity that thrusters put upon you. It always is. Thrusters at these common weights are always about how long can you endure the suck and heart rate in the throat. It is never about being a bit "too heavy".

A 95lb thruster for any decent male Crossfitter - no where near elite - is light. It is the total reps and damage caused after a row where it happens. The strong but no where even close to Regional level females in my gym can handle 95lb (male weight) thrusters for numerous reps. Any time it creeps beyond 7+ reps, they never mention how "heavy" it is. It simply is because its really hard for them to continue without feeling like they will die. They all Front Squat 175+ and Push Press 150ish and I'm talking about them doing thrusters with mens weights and it isn't a strength issue for them. I find it hard to believe that anyone doing 15.5 not scaled, as a man, is going to have any issues because of their strength.

I can thruster 225 for 3-5 reps. Not comfortably, but strength wise, it isn't all out insane for me. I'll be putting down these 95lb thrusters on the rounds of both 27 and 21, so to me, without a doubt, its engine. And I don't consider myself an overly strong normal, weekend warrior, old guy type of Crossfitter, so 90%? Nah.[/QUOTE]

I said that key factor of this workout will be the ability to handle the weight of the thrusters, at least for the non-elite athletes. For the elite athletes, the row becomes the bigger factor because they are busting through the thrusters unbroken and it becomes the "easier" part of the workout--although none of it is easy especially after the rowing. But the thrusters only tax the elite, very strong athletes so much, they can suck it up and get through them without a lot of variability among them in terms of how quickly they get them done, and the performance on the row is the separating factor. There can be wide variability on how fast they row, particularly since the row is for Calories as opposed to meters.

How much time did you spend on the row? And how much time did you spend on the thrusters? And what was your total time on the workout? I'm willing to bet you spent much, much longer on the thrusters.

I've attached a chart showing rowing times. What was your approximate average calories per hour on the rower? And how long does that translate to on the rower? I'm willing to bet the vast majority of athletes spent twice as much time on the thrusters as they did the row.

What is the single most important factor on how well you can handle the thrusters? Unless you are talking about a very unbalanced athlete--such as a pure powerlifter who specializes in one rep maxes as compared to a CrossFitter, who does at least as much metabolic training as pure strength work--their one rep max thruster will be the single most important factor. Other factors will come into play, obviously, it is not a one rep max workout--but for even a moderately experienced CrossFit athlete their aerobic engine will take a clear back seat to the phosphagen and glycolitic energy systems on the thrusters (unless, of course, they are so strong that 95/65 pound thrusters are mostly aerobic for them). For elite athletes, like Thorisdottir, Bazinet, and Briggs doing 65 pounds thrusters, that becomes a much more aerobic dominant movement for them.

Re: 2015 CrossFit Open, Regionals, and Games Thread
 

[QUOTE=Christopher Morris;1251112]
On the leaderboard:
Australia women 40-44 has an athlete ranked 18th who did one scaled workout.
Canada East - 11th place athlete
Europe - 16th place
Latin America - 6th place
...etc...
[/QUOTE]

Regional rankings do not get you to the MQ, it's the worldwide ranking that counts, and there are no 40-44 women with any scaled workouts in the top 200. There are 8 in the top 100 in the 45-49 and more in the older age groups. For the men, not so much...