CrossFit Open Workout 21.2 | Pacing & Strategy Guide

ZOAR Competition Guide

What does the guide cover?

Movement Standards

Don’t overlook the workout’s movements standards.

Even if you have been doing this fitness thing for a long time, sometimes tweaks in the rules can make your attempt invalid, which can be devastating to your place on the leaderboard…and your season.

Take the time to review the full movement standards on the Games website.

Download the PDF 21.2 Scorecard here.

Filming & Judging

You need to take time prior to when you walk into the gym to figure out the logistics of filming and judging.

First, reach out to someone at your gym or a friend and ask them to judge you, and to meet you at a specific time. Don’t just show up at the gym and hope someone is there. Pick a friend who is reliable, knows the standards and will project their voice so you can hear them.

Second, make sure you have the scorecard printed to give to your judge when you meet them. Also, be sure to let them know how your preferences… • Do you want every rep counted out loud?
• Maybe every fifth or tenth rep?
• Maybe each time you break?
• Maybe only the one movement?

Fourth, prior to starting your warm-up, setup your equipment and a clock where you plan on using it. Set up your camera making sure all stations are in frame with some extra space on the sides. Make a mental note of where the edges are the frame are and make sure to avoid walking past that during transitions and rest during the workout.

Also, film your rehearsal. Then during your rest prior to starting your test, review it to double check all movements are in frame and that you can clearly see movement standards are being met.

Lastly, before submitting a video watch it through to make sure reps were counted correctly, and that the video is quality enough to be judged online.

Even if you don’t plan on qualifying for the next stage in the competition, videos serve as an important resource as to how to improve on a ReTest.

Equipment Setup

Similar to week one, the transitions in 21.2 aren’t critical in this workout.

It’s easy to keep transitions times fairly quick when you’re fresh in the early rounds, and when you’re in the latter rounds the transitions will be a much needed rest time.

Equipment setup also isn’t going to make or break your score on 21.2. The 15 reps of BBJOs is an odd number, which means that you will always finish on the far side of the box from where you start. Either the dumbbell will be there waiting for you or you can walk back to the other side and pick it up.

Either way, your setup won’t be the difference maker in this workout.

Live Announcement Lessons

The first thing to keep in mind is that you (probably) aren’t an elite athlete.

And keep in mind, Justin Medeiros was only 4 seconds off the World Record for this workout in 2017.

Fast and unbroken is only a strategy that works if you have elite capacity.

Besides the raw output of the athletes, I think there was some other things to glean from the live announcement.

(1) Don’t Use a Foam Box

Unless you’re a person worried about failing a box jump, I would recommend using a wooden plyo box. Especially if you plan to use a the swivel spin technique for the BBJO.

(2) Stay Low Over the Box

One thing that Justin Medeiros did well despite a foam box is staying low over the box. With the box jump over, unlike the regular box jump, there’s no need for your hips to gain much height.

The more you can move your hips horizontally through space with little vertical motion, the more efficient your BBJOs will be.

(3) Let the Workout Build

One thing that Sam Kwant mentioned is that he started at a slightly conservative pace and then wanted to build in the latter rounds.

When he wasn’t able to pick up the pace, the result is “riding the workout out” and working harder and harder just to maintain the same pace.

If you have tested 17.1 recently, this is the strategy I would recommend doing.

Pacing & Strategy

It’s important to form a pacing strategy and/or break plan that’s firmly rooted in the knowledge of your current capabilities.

Don’t be too conservative because you won’t be able to make up time in the latter parts of the workout, and don’t be too aggressive or you’ll likely “blow up” early and be forced to ReTest without ever getting a solid score in the first place.

If you have completed similar workouts in your training, what type of pace and chunking of sets were you able to maintain?

Base your current plan of attack of a similar model, and you’ll be much more likely to succeed.

(1) TnG the Dumbbell Snatch

Even if you don’t plan on doing your sets unbroken, I would still recommend doing sets of touch-n-go reps. This will save your back, which I explain here.

For everyday athletes, chunking the sets several reps at a time will be perfectly fine and as long as you’re diligent with your rest time.

For top 10% athletes, you will need to go (almost) unbroken. A break or two won’t kill your time *provided* you maintain transition times and keep moving on the BBJO.

(2) BBJO: Pick an Efficient Variation

We’ve all done Burpee Box Jump Overs before. You’ve probably played around with a couple different way to do it.

My advice would be to stick with a variation of the movement that you’ve accumulated a bunch of reps in already. Game day is not a good time to try something new.

Here is an overview of appropriate BBJO Variations.

(3) Treat the Beginning as a Buy-In

Much like 21.1, this workout is an ascending rep scheme, where the deeper you get into the workout the more dense the work becomes.

Therefore, be okay with starting the first 2-3 rounds of this workout well under your capacity.

There is plenty of time to let the workout build and hold onto unbroken sets and sprint the BBJOs if you are feeling up for it in the last two rounds.

(4) Hold on When It Counts

The last two rounds are really the separator in this workout. At this point in the workout, it’s going to hurt for every one. Keep that in mind… if you’re in pain, so is everyone else.

Be okay continuing to move through the pain of the final rounds. The athletes who don’t set down the dumbbell and can keep moving on the Burpee Box Jump Overs will be the ones who come out on top.

(5) You Might Not Be Able to Redo

Many people in 2017 were crippled the day after 17.1.

The low back takes a beating with all the unilateral loading, hinging and hip flexion involved in these movements.

Do everything necessary to make your first attempt a good one.

Don’t allow yourself to go out to hot and blow up. Make sure you’re reps are clean and meet the standards. Make sure your camera setup is good.

You get my point.

Movement Resources

Breakdown on the Burpee Box Jump Over

Breakdown on the Dumbbell Snatch

Full Warm-Up & Cooldown

A. 2 Rounds @ Smooth Pace
-2:00 AirBike
-2:00 Row

B1. Boot Strappers (3 x 8) Rest 20s
*2s pause in each position
B2. Banded Good Morning (3 x 8) Rest 20s
*3s lower in each rep

C1. Kneeling Burpee Plank (3 x 8 Breaths) Rest 10s
C2. Alternating Lizards (3 x 8) Rest 10s
C3. Burpee (3 x 6)
C4. Elevated Cat Pose (3 x 20s)

D. Rehearsal – Complete @ Workout Pace
2 Sets:
-18/14 Calorie AirBike @ Sustainable Power
-10 Alternating Dumbbell Snatch 50/35lbs
-8 Burpee Box Jump Overs
*rest 2:00 & repeat

[Rest 4-6:00]

E. Test

CrossFit® Open Workout 21.2 / 17.1

For time [20 Min Time Cap]
-10 dumbbell snatches
-15 burpee box jump-overs
-20 dumbbell snatches
-15 burpee box jump-overs
-30 dumbbell snatches
-15 burpee box jump-overs
-40 dumbbell snatches
-15 burpee box jump-overs
-50 dumbbell snatches
-15 burpee box jump-overs

50/35lb. dumbbell, 24/20in. box

F. Flush – 5:00 AirBike @ Recovery Pace

G. Foam Roll: Quads & Low Back (5:00 Clock)

Balancing Training During the Open

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