Week three of the CrossFit® Open is in full swing and it’s a workout that’s going to test an athlete’s endurance, mental toughness, and brute strength. Relatively speaking, this may be the toughest workout we’ve seen thus far in the 2017 Open, at least in terms of strength.
If you haven’t seen 17.3 yet, then checkout our previous article on the workout.
In this workout we’ve ditched the dumbbells and have moved on to barbell snatches. The snatches are paired with chest to bar pull-ups and have varied reps depending on what round you’re in. In order to survive this workout an athlete needs to understand their body and know how to pace themselves, especially as they get in the final rounds.
To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of CrossFit Open Workout 17.3 tips from of the top athletes in the game.
1. Michelle Letendre (Finished 16th at the 2016 Games) – How to Snatch the Light Weight Easier
First Method: “For the light bars there are a few ways of moving it. Keeping your hip high and using more back is an option to save some legs but I find this turnover quite slow compared to the second technique I used in the light bar video.”
Second Method: “The second technique has a more upright torso, a wider stance and a wider grip. This shortens the range of motion and I find is more stable for the shoulders but it does use more legs. In the heavy bars (swipe for video on the right), setup is everything. You need to attack those bars like a confident PR; aggressive but unassuming.”
Letendre’s Thought Process: “Here’s what I think about when I lift heavy: 1. setup hips low and pull chest up 2. Raise chest up as I’m pulling the bar into the hips. 3 Jump!”
2. Lukas Esslinger (Finished 21st in the 2016 Games) & The Progrm – How to Warm-Up and Methods to Increase Snatch Weight
John Singleton, Lukas Esslinger, and Jacquline Dahlstrom go over a dynamic warm-up for workout 17.3. Singleton then discusses ideal methods to warm-up for the snatch portion of the workout and how to break up the chest to bar sections.
3. Nick Fowler and Adrian Conway (Took 7th at His 2016 Regionals – Mental Preparation and Listening to Your Body
Brute Strength coach Nick Fowler and CrossFit athlete Adrian Conway discuss the importance of listening to your body with this workout. They cover how important recovery is, when to set your limits, and how to push through.
4. Rich Froning, Matt Hewett, Darren Hunsucker, Elly Kaboord, Lindy Barber, and special guest Dan Bailey – Breaking Up Reps and Rest
The members of CrossFit Mayhem and Dan Bailey talk about the importance of breaking up reps during the workout. They also talk about how important not missing at heavier weight can be due to the amount of time it takes to reset.
5. Nicole Carroll (CrossFit HQ Director of Training & Certification) – Time Management and Knowing Your Limits
Nicole Carroll talks about managing your time throughout the snatches and understanding what your body is capable of. She talks about the importance of creating a time management strategy if you consistently miss heavier snatches.
Whether you’re doing 17.3 for the first time or you’re re-doing it to improve your score, then take this advice and apply it to your workout.
For those re-doing the workout, think about areas you struggled with the first time through and apply bits and pieces of advice from the above athletes.
Feature image from @mich_letendre Instagram page, The Progrm YouTube channel, Brute Strength Facebook page, and CrossFit Mayhem YouTube channel.
