New Focus: Elizabeth
This cycle, we’ll be testing the classic CrossFit benchmark Elizabeth, a couplet of 21-15-9 squat cleans and ring dips. This moves us from a hinge-dominant pattern (kettlebell swing) to a squat-dominant movement, and allows us to transition from working on pulling in our gymnastics skill work to pressing.
Elizabeth is less cardiovascular-intensive than Helen, but it requires a considerable amount of muscular endurance, both for the legs with the cleans, and the arms with the ring dips. Building up strength and stamina in both movements, as well as being strategic with breaking up reps, will help ensure the fastest possible time.
To improve on Elizabeth, we will be working on strict strength for the ring dip, as well as kipping work to build stamina and timing. For those of you still working on getting a strict dip, we will use a light band to work on the strength aspect of the movement, as well as more assistance to get additional volume in.
For the squat cleans, we will get comfortable at heavy weights, as well as practice cycling the bar for multiple reps. For those of you who hit PRs on your power cleans, this is a great opportunity to build on that success and work on catching your clean deeper in the hole.
We will be doing a pre-test of Elizabeth next week on Tuesday, August 20th. If this is your first time doing the workout, use this as a gauge to know your capacity for both movements, and then work hard over the next few weeks to increase your muscular endurance!
