The CrossFit Games Open in Their Own Words: Week 4

I'm very disappointed in HQ!
Where are(were) the heavy lifts? 165# DL really! Even for a triplet.
What happened to 225#? or dare I even mention a scary 315#!
HQ I think you have caved into the endurance side of the house!
I'm in disbelief that you let that happen...I just don't know what else to say!

Bill
CF Fairbanks

Is anyone else annoyed that everytime they show a video of Yosh during his WOD that the only words coming out of the judges mouth Should be "NO REP!" No full extension on the push ups from a few weeks ago. Landing with a 1,2 step on on the burpees this time. What's the point of having movment standards if they aren't going to be followed? Especially by someone we are saying "Hey, look at this person do it"

I L-O-V-E these videos! These guys are so entertaining and such a great representation of the variety of Crossfit athletes out there, physical and mental struggles and all!

Somehow being buried up to the eyeballs "...in a pile of suck.", doesn't really sound like a lot of fun. Why do I love Crossfit again?

So far, in my own words as a 'newbie", I have twisted an ankle doing jump pull ups, requiring a visit to the emergency room, followed by a week in an ankle brace and on crutches. Then the following week, abolished my biceps, doing a scaled Hanson, (combo of burpees/ push-ups) or so my coach says, (secretly, I think it was the kettlebell swings), in either case, I couldn't straighten my arms for a week. I'd do it all again in a cinch!

I imagine one day I'll walk into the box wrapped up resembling the Mummy, having so many injuries, yet I'll still want to work on something. I love these guys in these videos. Their enthusiasm and determination is inspiring. Truly encouraging to watch as every week goes by.

I may be wrong, but are you sure you don't mean Pat rather than Yosh? I watched both several times, and although Yosh was really going fast, he seemed to landing correctly, whereas Pat seemed to be two-steppin'. I understand your frustration, and agree that movement standards should be strictly upheld? Why have them otherwise? But I'm still kind of in awe of all of them.

For those of you questioning these athletes (Yosh and Pat P)

As a trainer at Crossfit Fenway, Level 1 Certified Trainer, friend of Yosh and Pat, daily WOD partner of Yosh and Pat, and colleague of Yoshs, I can assure you you both need to look at those videos again.

Standards are made so judges know a set way to count a rep, not for tit for tat no reps on 1 of 60. After having watched countless Open workouts as a judge and as a spectator I can say that yes there is a gray area for everything. I mean when it comes down to it, what is "parallel", "below parallel", or "squat depth" for a squat? Look at a squat for a 6'5" long legged person, a 6'5" long torsoed person, and a 6'5" equally proportioned person, and all three "legit" squats will look totally different. The point is that when it comes to legit reps, or standards being strictly upheld, they are created to make sure the work is done, not to screw someone mid WOD. Someone blatantly not going below parallel, or blatantly shorting a pushup, should be no repped, but if they hit that "gray area" once, then they should be reminded and watched closely.

In the cases of Pat and Yosh, I judged both of them on many of these WODS and will put my own integrity on the line to say all their reps were legit. In the case of Yoshs pushups he locks out and hits his chest every time. And referring to a 1,2 step burpee, the standard is made to make sure the work is being done, ie both feet on the ground at jump off. If one foot happens to hit down first on the way down, guess what, that person did no less work than someone who jumps off the same way but comes down with both feet. Are these the exact standards of the wods set out by HQ? No. But if you are really judging these videos or anyone competing in the Opens this way then you are missing the point of standards and CrossFit altogether. The point of judging and reps and standards is to simply make sure someone is doing the work required. Burpees are a tough call because there are so many points to check per rep. The bar facing was meant to eliminate that confusion. But the last of the important points is the 2 feet landing at one time. Hitting the full burpee and jumping with both feet is all the work required. 2 feet landing at one time is just to make sure people are doing all that is pre-requisite. Pat or Yosh 1,2 landing just happens to be how their feet land after jumping with both feet on the ground, not as a result of a "bunny hop". And as for Yosh's pushups, u just got to look harder. Hes probably just moving so fast you cant tell. I have that problem with him a lot. But hes doing the work, I assure you.

The opens have certainly created a bit of a situation when it comes to judging and validating workouts. I personally watched someone in WOD 4 at another box get reps for 30 overhead squats when 20 were questionably parallel and they ended with well over 100 reps. But nobody there had a problem with that person getting that score because nobody could question that they did all the work required. CrossFit is about getting work done. Period. Moving large loads long distances quickly. Not knitpicking small mistakes painstakingly.

When it comes down to it, the people with legit scores are doing legit work. If not, guess what, they will be exposed in the Regionals and beyond. As for Pat and Yosh, Pat is top 20 in our region. Ive seen him crush every Open WOD in person and every rep has been legit, damn I even judged him in 2 of them. And as for Yosh, the dudes body weight is less than half the weight prescribed in all these workouts and hes top 250 in the region. Lets all remember what Crossfit is about and spend less time picking at people's legit reps who are putting themselves out in front of tens of thousands of people to give entertainment and inspiration for all of us and more time beating them, or trying to at least, in the Opens.

I suggest you re-think putting your integrity on the line. Yosh and Pat bust their butts and that I find inspiring but if something isn't going to be done right, especially when there are specific standard laid out no matter who the athlete is, then why do it? I've re watched the videos and yes, Yosh fails to lock out on several push ups earlier. He lands 1,2 a couple times in the short period we saw so I can only imagine how sloppy it got when the poor guy got tired. The heart they those guys put into the WOD's is exactly what CrossFit and The Open is about. But the lack in technique is what give it a bad name in the world of strength and conditioning.

Yes, the standards are there to ensure we all do the same amount of work so obviously if those standards aren't met....someone is doing less work. But I'm getting sick of people blindly reciting lines like "We teach Technique, consistanty, then increased intensity" if they aren't going to LIVE IT!

Move large loads quickly. Period? Please tell me we aren't totally brainwasked? How about moving the quickly and safely? How about efficiently? How about in a way I can thousands of times and never sacrifice the integrity of the movement? Why cut down ROM and risk injury down the line. Maybe this is just me, but I'd rather be 250th in a region and KNOW every rep that got counted was Perfect. Than be 20th and have technique that makes ppl think "Really? so that's how they do it in CrossFit."