CrossFit Open 24.2
Onto Week 2! Another relatively community-friendly workout. Also another workout that is quite friendly for pregnant & postpartum women…minus those double unders!
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:
Rowing: If rowing is bothersome, focus on pushing more with your legs.
Thinking about squeezing your shoulder blades together as you pull can decrease stress on your shoulders.
Deadlifts: Hopefully this shouldn’t be much of an issue for shoulder pain, but if it is, consider decreasing the weight on the bar.
Double Unders: Hopefully not much of an issue, remember to keep your shoulders relaxed! If painful, modify to another monostructural movement for around 45 seconds.
Leg/Hip/Knee/Ankle Injury:
Rowing: Use more upper body with rowing if it is painful and/or limit the amount of knee and hip flexion on the return.
Deadlifts: Modify weight as needed to decrease load/stress on lower body.
Double Unders: Scale to singles if able.
Jump on just one leg - what’s your coordination like? :)
Use another monostructural movement such as the bike or the rower, for 45 seconds.
Back Injury:
Rowing: Be careful not to overextend while rowing if that's something that bothers you- instead try to get good pushes with your legs and pull with your arms.
Deadlifts: These deadlifts are not meant to be heavy - focus on hinging here and activating your deep core. Scale the weight here as needed.
If you do decide to "belt up", please make sure you know how to properly use a weightlifting belt. It's more than just getting it as tight as possible- you should be bracing into the belt for extra support. It's like a biofeedback tool here.
Activating your deep core: Think about pulling your belly button in & try to hold that contraction during the deadlift, while being sure to breathe.
A cue that helps me personal get my posterior chain to activate on deadlifts is trying to push your feet/heels into the ground as you begin to pull. If you think of it more as a "push" with the feet and less as a "pull", this can help better activate the posterior chain.
If you have a back injury, I would highly recommend scaling the deadlift weight at a minimum. Consider substituting the movement for something a little less scary for your back.
You could modify the deadlift itself to a sumo style or starting off on plates/blocks so not as low to the floor.
Consider KB deadlifts with a limited range or KB swings.
Double Unders: Hopefully not much of an issue, remember to keep your shoulders relaxed! If painful, modify to another monostructural movement for around 45 seconds.
Pregnant Athletes
24.2 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 throughout the AMRAP 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!
Rowing: Have a coach or friend watch for coning on the pull with the rower (if you try to look down & watch yourself, that can cause some coning!). The bike is usually a safe alternative.
FYI you may not feel coning- I never did. So you may need to watch for it.
Exhale on the pull.
Choose a speed that can be performed with no symptoms.
You can also decrease the distance - however this is a pretty short distance.
Deadlifts: I would highly recommend going in with an open mindset towards scaling the deadlift weight- risk vs reward here.
Exhale on the pull to avoid holding your breath & putting more stress on the pelvic floor.
Consider using a sumo stance if that is more comfortable for those who are farther along.
If it's uncomfortable to deadlift from the floor, another posterior chain movement would be a great substitute.
KBS, good mornings, bridges are some examples.
Double Unders: Jump rope is a common movement to experience leaking with (stress urinary incontinence). If you are experiencing leaking or a lot of pelvic pressure/pain, I’d recommend choosing a different monostructural movement.
No matter what option you do - don’t hold your breath!
Can do singles or skipping (singles but landing on one leg - alternating feet).
The side to side motion of skipping tends to dissipate the forces with jumping a bit and making this more tolerable for pregnancy.
Optional movements would be other monostructural movements (bike, ski erg, etc.).
Perform the movement for an amount of time that is consistent with how long it would take to perform the DU - around 45 seconds.
Postpartum Athletes
As I said early, 24.2 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 - 24.2 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 ok to row, light weight for deadlifts and the bike instead of jumping rope.
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!
Rowing: Have a coach or friend watch for coning on the pull with the rower (if you try to look down & watch yourself, that can cause some coning!). The bike is usually a safe alternative.
FYI you may not feel coning- I never did. So you may need to watch for it.
Exhale on the pull.
Choose a speed that can be performed with no symptoms.
You can also decrease the distance - however this is a pretty short distance.
Deadlifts: I would highly recommend going in with an open mindset towards scaling the deadlift weight- risk vs reward here.
Exhale on the pull to avoid holding your breath & putting more stress on the pelvic floor.
These shouldn’t be heavy & cause you to leak!!!!
If deadlifts don’t feel great consider some of these modifications:
Kettlebell deadlift
Good mornings (barbell or banded)
KBS
Barbell thruster
Bridges
Other posterior chain/glute dominant movement
Double Unders: I caution early postpartum athletes against jump rope, because the pelvic floor is still recovering & likely weak. However that is my personal opinion. Leaking or pelvic pain/pressure are signs to try a different movement.
Ideally you should get cleared by a pelvic floor physical therapist first, then begin with single singles, and slowly build from there.
Can do singles or skipping (singles but landing on one leg - alternating feet).
The side to side motion of skipping tends to dissipate the forces with jumping a bit and making this more tolerable for pregnancy.
Rather than go for reps, I would recommend the athlete perform the movement for a certain period of time, in this workout I would say 45 seconds.
If jumping rope causes any leaking or symptoms, I would recommend modifying to other monostructural movements (bike, ski erg, etc.) for 45 seconds.
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.