15.2 | You gotta love a redo

This week we are looking at 15.2, a couplet of overhead squats and chest to bar pullups, that gets longer and harder the more rounds you complete within 3 minute cut-offs with. We are also joined this week by veteran competitor Darren Freeman, and Josh Completes the WOD at CrossFit Soul in Miami with Sam Briggs.

Kitbox (KB) - Hi guys, before we take a look at 15.2 lets have a quick recap on how you go on with 15.1 and 15.1a…. So, how did you find it?

Joe Cowen (JC) - 15.1 was a great way to start the open! As always it never goes to plan… I decided not to do 2 rounds of unbroken toes to bar after watching a few people go before me. I did just one round unbroken and then 2 rounds of 8 / 6 split then 5/4/3 for the remaining rounds. I did all the snatches in singles and felt fine. I finished on 177 reps so overall its happy days !!

Pippa Alfrod (PA) - I enjoyed this workout, even though toes-to-bar are a nemesis of mine! For the first part, I had a plan which was to break the toes to bar down into sets of five on the first round and then sets of three for the remainder, although by round six I was on sets of two! The deadlifts and snatches I completed unbroken the whole way, which I was really happy with. I kept moving and never felt particularly gassed at all, just my grip that started to burn. When performing, it felt like I was moving really quickly, but looking back through my video, it's like I was moving in slow motion! I was really lucky to perform my workout at Sarum Crossfit, with loads of people around to cheer me on. Sarum has such a great community and over 70 members have submitted scores to the Opens. 

Josh Saville (JS) - I found 15.1 a bit more challenging that I first thought... I'm not the best at TTB anyways so when I felt my fore arms burn up I know it was going to get tastey!!! I was glad to get it out the way with an ok score but the second part of 15.1 was more my cup of tea!! However as I said in last week’s blog, I tweaked my shoulder when I was lifting heavy a few days before...However I taped it up took a few painkillers and off we went... opened with a nice 100 and finished with a power clean and jerk 125 kg which felt good Shame the timer went as I would have liked to have gone heavier but hey can't win them all!!

KB – Joe, Pippa – how was 15.1 a for you?

JC - I power cleaned from the word go and I cannot go from power clean to squat clean at a heavy weight - I have to work up (stupid mistake) so I pr’d my power clean and jerk at 115kg easily but couldn’t power clean 120 … least I know for next time!

PA - I spent a lot of time faffing, changing my shoes and chalking up for part 15.1a. I had four weights in my head that I wanted to hit. I got the first three (65, 70, 72.5kg), and then my head started to go a little. I had warmed up past 75kg before the workout, but just couldn’t seem to get the jerk within the time limit.

Anyway, I’m pretty happy with my performance. Not sure I could have linked any more toes to bar together, and for me, 72.5kg was a good 90% of my 1 rep max on the clean and jerk. I am hoping to finish in the top 100 in Europe this year, so have left myself a lot of work to do! But four weeks remaining, I'm excited to see what the rest of the competition brings!

KB – And so onto 15.2…. What did you think when you first saw the WOD?

JC -15.2 is a redo … Gotta love a redo, you immediately put more pressure on yourself as you know what you got last time so not it’s time to see if all the so called ‘hard work’ has paid off. I like this style of workout as it’s a bit more skilled and the movements play to my strengths.

Darren Freeman (DF) - I'm really excited about 15.2. If there was one workout I would have picked to repeat from 2014 it would be this one.

JS - Well I've been a very lucky boy as I’m in Florida and have to do 15.2 with the former Champ and allround amazing women…..Sam briggs. I’ve been at her gym, CrossFit Soul, doing a bit of lifting (shoulders still playing up) but felt ok after warming up! We had the announcement live in the gym with everyone watching!! And then when Castro announced the re test of 14.2 I was secretly happy as overhead squats and c2b pull ups are ok movements for me.

KB – How did you do last year?

JS – I did ok last year almost finishing my 16s.

JC - I think I got into the 14s and did one round and 10 or so reps into the overhead squats.

PA - Last year I got 183 reps, which is into the fourth round, so I will be aiming to beat that.

DF - I only got 126 last year (10 OHS it's 2nd rd of 14s), even OHS were tough at 45kg due to insufficient movement. 

KB - What are you aiming for this year?

JS - I'm hoping to get into my 18s and if training with Sam Briggs isn't going to push me then sorry but nothing will! I'm loving training in America with her - for me still the fittest girl in the world! #luckyguy 15.2 bring the pain! !!

JC - This time I hope to finish the 14s and get as far as I can into the 16s.

KB – What is your plan of attack?

PA - I think this workout it all about your ability to maintain the chest to bar pull ups. I think it will be crucial to break them up early on, whereas I will aim to do the overhead squats unbroken every time to save energy and time. The first couple of rounds will be okay, but from about minute six it's going to get tough.

DF - Plan of attack with be similar to 15.1. Go unbroken on the barbell and break the rig work from the start 5/5,  4/4/4,  4/4/3/3,  4/4/4/4/. With minimum break between Pull up sets. 

JC - Last time I did this I went unbroken on everything and it shot me in the foot I will not be doing that this time.

KB – Any advice?

DF - The trick with the Overhead Squats is to warm up solely with a empty bar, but keep bringing your hands narrower each set, the narrower you can do these in the WOD the less taxing on the shoulders, I've been doing a lot of EMOM C2B Pull up work recently so confident these are a lot better than last year.  

JC – Use a closer grip than normal on overhead squat to save shoulders and fatigue in arms / wrist. Watch the clock 3 minutes to do the first 2 rounds in plenty of time. Break the chest to bars up straight away. Slow down, fast up on the overhead squats it’s easy to lose balance if you try and go too fast

KB – Final thoughts?

JC – Have fun, its just another WOD!

DF - Focus on nice long breaths in rest period, re-chalk and relax. When you know you're not going to make the cut, push hard to squeeze every last rep out. This is the opens... They all count!!!!  

KB - Thanks guys, good luck and we'll catch up next week.