We are halfway through our latest cycle, “Nate!” As the end of the year approaches and the CrossFit Open looms around the corner, we will be continuing to work on those higher level gymnastics skills that we’ve spent so much time building a foundation for.
As those of you who have tested know, “Nate” is a 20 minute AMRAP of 2 muscle-ups, 4 handstand push-ups, and 8 KB swings. The workout is a great opportunity to work at the edge of your ability, because the reps on each round are low; however, with the length of the workout, the overall volume begins to accumulate rapidly, and being efficient at each movement pays dividends. The workout also requires a good deal of stamina since the timeframe is long.
For the first part of the cycle, we primarily focused on improving technique, building strict strength, and generating power from the kip for the muscle-up and HSPU. For the next part of our cycle, we will be focusing on accumulating more overall volume for each movement. We will be working in intervals and attempting to build local muscular endurance. Our goal is to continue to work on quality of movement, so we encourage getting as many reps as possible while avoiding “junk reps” where form starts to break down.
In addition to practicing muscle-ups and handstand push-ups, you should notice longer workouts in the 15-20 min range on a more consistent basis, as well as more frequent heavy kettlebell swings programmed in the conditioning. While we aren’t targeting the KB swings directly as part of the skill work, getting more practice during the WODs should still help with improving competence in the movement.
