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“The Outlaw Guide to the Open”

This is not and could not possibly be an exhaustive reference, but I’ll do what I can to explain our approach and hopefully guide you all in your best possible experience.

• SCHEDULE. We will be performing the WODs on FRIDAYS. This is the best way for us to be fairly fresh before each but stay with a template that makes sense in the overall scope of the season. I WILL NOT be programming for you to qualify for Regionals. I WILL be programming for you to continue to improve and become better at your sport. Basically, there are two groups who follow this site. There is a group who will qualify for Regionals with no problem at all, and there is a group who will not even be close. If you fall into the “no problem” category, you will do the WODs on Fridays and go about your normally scheduled business. If you fall into the “not even close” category then you are here to improve and need to treat the Open WODs as a worldwide barometer that will help you test your strengths and weaknesses and show you where you need to improve or have improved. In case you have not read the rule book, the WODs will be announced at 8PM EST on Wednesday nights and must be performed and validated by 8PM EST Sunday nights. If you’d like to read the entire document go here: Rule Book.
• PROGRAMMING. We will load early in the week with our heavier-volume days and take a sort of “active recovery” approach to Wednesdays. It is very difficult to program around an unknown set of movements, rep schemes, volume, and loading, but you can be sure that even if you are not feeling perfect from a muscle-fatigue standpoint, your CNS will be primed for each week’s test. I do understand—despite what I said about there being “two groups”— that some of you invariably will have performances that necessitate repeating the week’s WOD. This is NOT RECOMMENDED, but I do realize it is inevitable. In the event you need to repeat a WOD, the recommendation is to take a full rest day on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, perform Saturday’s Strength (BB Gymnastics) work, drop the Conditioning portion of the Saturday workout and replace it with the Open WOD. We will also remain on the Hatch Squat Cycle until its completion, with our Tuesday low-bar work moving to Mondays during the Open (our final testing week will coincide with the final week of the Open).
• TESTING. I do believe it to be very helpful to test certain aspects of the workouts in order to understand what sort of a strategy will be the best to use. My coaches and I employed this technique last year and had a great deal of success; however, I do not recommend going anywhere near a max-effort while testing. We will actually test the WODs on Thursdays at Outlaw home base and try to disseminate some strategy tips to all the Outlaws in Friday’s post. You may test portions or aspects of the workouts, but DO NOT get anywhere near the kind of intensity you will have when you are on the clock for real. Testing should be used as a time to get used to standards, transitions, and lay out your general working area.
• TRAINING CAMPS. Our Training Camp format will remain the same as it has been, which means we will NOT be performing the Open WODs on Friday (we will continue to have our Friday night lifting session), but they WILL be our first workout Saturday morning. We will be taking the entire morning session to prepare, discuss, practice, and be absolutely as ready as possible for the work. The environment at these camps will certainly be like a mini-regional, so we are not particularly worried about our competitors not living up to their potential. If, and that is a BIG if, you feel strongly about possibly repeating a WOD while attending a Training Camp, we will take those requests on a case-by-case basis. I would just honestly say—be READY to go when you get to camp. We will provide the perfect environment and best coaching available. It’s your job to perform. Also, as I’ve said many times, these weekends WILL NOT be beatdowns. They are far more instructional than work-intensive and are designed to fit into our normal volume schedule.
• THE OUTLAW WAY. Yes, I believe we will have TRIPLE-digit Outlaws qualify for Regionals. This would certainly be an unprecedented achievement for a single training regimen.  That means each and every one of you has a standard to uphold. You are prepared, primed and have put in the work that will allow you to be more successful than any group of competitors in THE HISTORY of this sport. You are the summation of many years of study, testing, sweat, and an insatiable obsession with excellence. Over the course of this season we literally will be writing the manual on how to play “the sport of fitness.”

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WOD 120220:

Strength

1) Back Squat: 1X5 @ 60%, 1X3 @ 70%, 1X2 @ 80%, 1X2 @ 90%, 1X1 95% – rest 2-3 min. between each set.
2a) 4X10 UB Weighted C2B Pullups – heaviest possible (vests may be used), rest 60 sec.
2b) Front Squats: 1X5 @ 65%, 1X4 @ 70%, 1X4 @ 80%, 1X4 @ 85% – rest 60 sec.

Conditioning

Compare to 111110 or 111111

20 minutes to get as far as possible:

30’ Sled Pull 180/135#
20 Row for Calories
10 OH Walking Lunges 135/95#
then…
60’ Sled Pull 180/135#
40 Row for Calories
20 OH Walking Lunges 135/95#
etc…

Notes: The sled pulls should be performed with a 15’ rope attached to the sled. Pulling is hand over hand (think final event at the 2011 games. Distance should be acquired by setting up 2 cones 30’ apart. After pulling the total length of rope, back pedal and repeat.