Open 20.3 Mobility, Warmup and Strategy Guide
Are you fitter than 18.4?:
Open workout 20.3 requires a lot of pretty heavy deadlifts. Activating and mobilising your posterior chain will help you survive a lot of hip hinging. The HSPU movement standards and handstand walks mean we’ll need to open the shoulders and mobilise the upper back to help you feel long and decrease the likelihood of no reps as you fatigue.
On the plus side, this is a very different workout to the previous two weeks, so go out there and enjoy.
1. General Warmup: Warmup at a gentle pace to get blood flowing and get you used to being upside down.
Spend 10-15 mins: 15 cal row, 6 Alternating Turkish Get Ups (3 per side), 30 secs forward lean on gymnastic rings, 15 cal row, 6 KB swing, 30 sec handstand hold against wall.
2. Mobility & Activation: Work on mobilising the entire posterior chain and shoulders.
Take a look at this 5 min mobility walk through from MAP Rehab:
Here’s some other useful exercises to activate the required muscle groups:
-Side Plank Rotations; 5/side x 2 sets
-Single Arm Overhead Walks (scap engaged / active wrist); 15m per arm x 2 sets (moderate load) +
-Single Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift; 5 per leg SLOW (Dumbbell in opposite hand; move through hip) x 2 sets
-Double Kettlebell Front Rack Carry; 30m carry should be tough x 2 sets. Keep your elbows down focus on your breathing and ensuring that you are bracing your midline.
3. Tough Triple:Time to get your nervous system prepped for moving those deadlifts. In less than 8 minutes build up to a tough triple deadlift (not a 3rm) keep the reps at a constant tempo.
4. Strategy Tips: If you know you’re going to struggle with the deadlifts, break them up early. Also if you can get some bumper plates that have a little bounce in them this will make things a bit easier across the workout as a whole. Obviously don’t cheat reps and bounce the plates.
HSPU: Say No to No Reps – The handstand pushups standards are tough, make sure you mark the wall correctly with tape and also mark you hand placement on the floor. If your hands get wider as fatigue sets in and you won’t be able to get your feet above the line and you’ll time and energy.
5. Practice rounds: do a short modified version of the actual workout to give yourself an idea of how your plan may feel, make any changes. This is about making you more comfortable not tiring you out.
That’s it, you’re good to go, get out there and prove that you’re fitter than 2018. Good Luck.