CrossFit Open 24.1
It’s that time of year again - CrossFit Open time! I really love it when the Open features workouts like 24.1 - easily accessible to the community. It’s a great start to the season with a workout that almost everyone will be able to perform.
I’m back again with my blogging recommendations - I’ve been doing this for 5 years for pregnant/postpartum athletes & 6 years for athletes with orthopedics injuries/pain.
I’m going to bold this next part because it’s very important. IT IS NOT NORMAL TO PEE OR LEAK DURING JUMP ACTIVITIES OR ANY ACTIVITY FOR THAT MATTER! IT IS COMMON, BUT THIS MEANS THERE IS DYSFUNCTION OF THE PELVIC FLOOR!!!!! Ok, please read that again. If you do experience leaking with any activity, please go see a pelvic floor physical therapist- it doesn’t have to be that way!!!
Symptoms for injured athletes: Pain, numbness, tingling, etc.
Symptoms for pregnant and postpartum athletes: Coning, leaking, pain, pelvic discomfort, pressure (in stomach/belly, pelvis or “down there”).
These are my recommendations as a physical therapist specializing in CrossFitters and pelvic floor, as well as a CrossFit Level 2 trainer. Interested in working with me? I provide in-person sessions as well as virtual. Contact us to learn more!
Injured Athletes
As a physical therapist, my professional recommendation is if something hurts, don’t do it.
Shoulder/Arm Injury:
DB Snatches: Consider scaling the weight on the injured/painful side.
If it’s painful with even light weight, consider doing DB snatches on the non-injured side only.
Lateral Burpees Over DB: If burpees bother you, try to let yourself just “fall” to the floor, versus trying to catch yourself with your hands and control the descent.
Modify to body builders (going down to high plank & then back up).
Choose another monostructural movement, like 3 plate hops then jump over DB.
Leg/Hip/Knee/Ankle Injury:
DB Snatches: These shouldn’t be too much of a problem here unless the weight is heavy, consider scaling it down.
Lateral Burpees Over DB:
Scale to burpee & step overs- you can alternate legs or stick with one side.
Consider “kicking” your injured leg out as you go down and & use primarily your non-injured leg.
Back Injury:
DB Snatches: Try to avoid bending over a lot, instead “squatting” down more as you touch the weight down.
Scale the weight as needed.
Perform hang DB snatch instead.
Lateral Burpees Over DB: Keep your core engaged as you come up out of the burpee.
Land softly on the jump over the DB (like a ninja) or scale to step over.
Modify to body builders or choose another monostructural movement such as plate hops to pair with DB jump overs.
Pregnant Athletes
24.1 is pretty friendly to the pregnant & postpartum athletes, which is a great start for the Open! For this workout, I’d suggest choosing movement options that allow you to keep moving and trying to get through as much of the workout versus going heavier and having to rest more. Don’t get hung up on the movements, scale it appropriately (mid-WOD if needed) and just move! Remember, this is just one chapter of your pregnancy journey!
DB Snatches:
Consider scaling the weight as needed.
If your bump is getting in the way, you can switch to hang DB snatches (3rd trimester ladies).
Exhale on the pull, inhale back down.
Lateral Burpees Over DB: Once the bump begins to show, I would not recommend “dropping” to the floor on burpees as some athletes do. If athletes still feel comfortable going all the way done to the floor, on their belly, I would recommend they do so carefully.
Do body builders instead (going down to just a push up plank position instead of the ground).
Step out & up instead of jumping out/up (jumping can put more stress on your pelvic floor!).
Watch for coning in the bottom position (if not on the floor), and as pushing back up. You can use a phone camera to watch this - see my post on this here.
Another popular modification is incline push up and air squat. Basically you want to find an appropriate movement that can serve as a cardio stimulus- this could be slamballs, KB swings, etc.
As for the jumping part, I’d recommend considering hopping over the DB using a one foot take off & landing or stepping over.
If you’re having a hard time getting your feet up & over the DB, please consider scaling - we don’t want any falls!
If you experience any leaking with the jumping portion, make sure you’re not holding your breath! If it persists, consider switching to the one foot take off/landing method or step overs.
Inhale down, exhale up.
Postpartum Athletes
As I said early, 24.1 is pretty friendly to the pregnant & postpartum athletes, which is a great start for the Open! For this workout, I’d suggest choosing movement options that allow you to keep moving and trying to get through as much of the workout versus going heavier and having to rest more. Don’t get hung up on the movements, scale it appropriately (mid-WOD if needed) and just move! Remember, this is just one chapter of your postpartum journey!
Side note - 24.1 is a pretty accessible workout. That being said, I would not recommend doing this if you’re not 3 months postpartum. If you’re 2 months postpartum & feeling good with no symptoms, I would say light weight for DBs and incline push ups + squat/bodybuilders/burpees.
Coning: If you see coning occurring - can you change it and make it go away? If yes, great, continue! If it’s hard to control the coning it’s a good idea to modify. Coning isn’t necessarily bad.
Pelvic Floor: If you haven’t been to see a pelvic floor physical therapist yet, I highly recommend it. Even if you have no symptoms, they can be valuable on guiding you on your return to fitness!
DB Snatches:
Consider scaling the weight as needed.
Focus on alignment in that top position- core engaged= ribs pulled down & back NOT arching).
Can always go from the hang as well, depending on how you’re feeling.
Exhale on the pull, inhale back down.
Lateral Burpees Over DB: This is a nice opportunity to trial jumping postpartum if you haven’t already - but if you’re struggling with a lot of pelvic floor issues, I would recommend holding off - it’s a lot of reps! Risk vs reward!
Step out & up instead of jumping out/up.
Watch for coning in the bottom position (if not on the floor), and as pushing back up, especially if newly postpartum. You can use the camera on your phone to do this! See my post on this here.
If you cone in the bottom position, consider doing body builders instead (stopping at the high plank & not going down to the floor).
Instead of jumping over the weight, consider doing a one foot take off/landing or stepping over the DB.
Inhale down, exhale up.
Coaches:
When considering scaling an athlete, try to keep in the mind what functional movement is being performed. Is it a variation of the squat, hinge, pull, push, etc.? Try to maintain the integrity of the functional movement, while modifying it a level that is appropriate for your individual athletes. If you would like to learn more about coaching pregnant and postpartum athletes, please look into Brianna Battles' coaching courses here. For questions regarding scaling/modifications for the injured athlete, please feel free to contact me and/or work directly with the athlete's healthcare provider.
***All pregnant and postpartum women should have their physician's approval to workout. If you don't, please do not workout. If you have any physician restrictions, to ignore them is placing you and your baby's health in jeopardy.
***I recommend all postpartum women get assessed by a pelvic floor physical therapist. Find one by you here. I also highly recommend finding a Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism coach by you to go over strategy with specific exercises, programming and recommendations. Find one here.
***At any sight of coning with any movement, stop. Stop if you begin experiencing "leaking", sensation of something "falling out" and/or anything that doesn't feel right. Take more breaks as needed, if it's due to fatigue. Focus on your breathing and movement strategy. If you continue to have symptoms, scale the movement more or stop the workout. If you haven't consulted with a healthcare provider and/or postpartum fitness specialist regarding your symptoms, please do.
If you have specific questions regarding this post, please comment below or contact via social media or email. I'm happy to help- but remember my advice is not accompanied with a hands-on assessment, which is the best way to make recommendations. If you are interested in meeting with me, please contact me. If you're interested in finding an appropriate healthcare provider/coach, please contact me and I will do my best to help you find one.