Well, he was right. @DaveCastro, Director of the @CrossFitGames, that is. Last Thursday when 18.2 was announced, he said, “18.2 is gonna burn.”
Yep. Good call there Dave.
The awkwardness of the dumbbells in the front rack. The effect of the squats on the legs. The bar-facing burpees and the new standard of jumping back/up. Yes it all combined for one short burn that left the lungs on fire and the legs like jello.
How’d that clean feel afterward?
As fun as 18.2A sounded when announced, it all of a sudden seemed like a daunting task while rolling around on the floor in agony after the first part. Some athletes ended up with new PR’s while others struggled with weights that normally would be routine.
Photo courtesy of Kate Downs
At the end of the weekend, it was clear that 18.2/18.2A was an awesome test for the 2nd week of the 2018 Open. How fast can you go and how heavy can you lift directly after going that fast?
But these workouts also exposed something about our communities if you look closely at the leaderboard.
When comparing our scores to those of the “elite” there’s a much larger gap in 18.2 than in 18.2A. The elite athletes’ conditioning is miles ahead of the weekday gym warrior.
It’s not their strength. Sure, they are stronger and they put up some impressive numbers. But the discrepancy is not the same as that of the metcon times.
Takeaway from Week 2: focus on metabolic conditioning. Don’t skip the cardio days! The 4-5 minute intervals we do often @brickhousecrossfit and @crossfitunifyroanoke. The medium length workouts that force you to pace and learn about your body. Don’t neglect them and watch your overall fitness improve.
Congrats on a great 18.2/18.2A and let’s crush this week’s challenge!
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