What To Do After The Open: Things to Handle During the Off-Season
--From Coach Drew
As we close out the 2017 CrossFit Open, many of us are wondering, "What’s next for me?" Well, let me start off by saying after 5 weeks of Open workouts, it’s time to reset both physically and mentally before we start training hard again. This is a perfect opportunity to reflect on your achievements over the 2017 season and set some goals and aspirations for the 2017-2018 season.
3 things to consider:
1. Take Time Off
2. Plan
a. Review and Evaluate
b. Assess Weaknesses
3. What Options Do I Have?
Take Time Off
This is the hardest one for people to embrace, but quite frankly - it’s the most important. I fully encourage you to step away from the gym and disconnect. Do more things outside the gym to help with your reset. For all the Type A personalities, there are plenty of active choices like hiking, bike riding, or swimming. This is also a great opportunity to get some extra sleep, over eat (if you’ve been on a strict diet) and invest in some body work/massages. Regardless if the Open was a focus or just for fun, the training leading up was tough. If you participated in Friday Night Lights, then undoubtedly you gave 110% which takes its toll on the body. So a little rest can go a long way for your overall health.
Plan
Now that Open has officially ended, you have 5 weeks of data to review and evaluate; the good and the bad. The Open does a really good job of testing many aspects of fitness hence why it can feel so long. Your final standing/position never tells your whole story so I wouldn’t get too caught up in that, but look at each week/workout individually and assess. Some of us found out we need to become more proficient at gymnastics while others found they need to get stronger or more flexible. Whatever proved to be a challenge for you as an individual needs to be understood before it can be addressed. This opens your door to start planning what’s next for you on your fitness journey.
What Options Do I Have?
Your plan moving forward should revolve around your review and assessment. This typically leads to new goals or focus points for the year ahead with an opportunity to explore different options. Talking to your coaches for help can be a great place to start to see how we can help. Individual programs have always proven to provide great results, but that’s not always an option. Finding friends with similar needs and starting small group training can be more attainable while still being highly effective. For others it may be a lot simpler, maybe getting more sleep or tightening up your nutrition can be the difference . Whatever your focus ends up being, it’s something you need to be fully committed to in order to receive the benefits of your effort.