It seems like there is a CrossFit box on every corner with more scheduled to open. This results in many choices for CrossFitters as each place is a little different. It also seems to result in more “competitions”. It’s a great day. Pay $50 – $100, get a few WOD’s in, compete against your friends, get a T-shirt. ALL SET!!!

Competition is important in advancing your growth both in CrossFit and your personal growth. I am a big advocate of competing with yourself in each WOD and also competing with other members who are of similar physical state or a little better. How else would you get better? Organized competitions are part of the CrossFit Kool-Aid. It doesn’t feel like a cult when we are around a bunch of people who are just like us! There are multiple options so be sure to search the net for any in your area. Kylie and I finished our second competition last week and below are some of my suggestions based on our experiences.

First off, I would to thank the folks who put together the competition, http://www.capitalthrowdown.com. Everything was started on schedule, or early and all of the volunteers were very helpful. It was a perfect example of how a competition should be run.

Research:
Visit the website for the competition. There will be different groups such as Scaled, Rx, and Elite. Look at the requirements for each and see which best suits you. Be honest with yourself and your skill level and pick the right group so that you are challenged. Winning isn’t everything, getting better and doing something you haven’t done before is more important.

Check out the WODs from the last competition. Chances are there will be some similarities. I think it is safe to say you can count on wall balls, some sort of sit up, pull up, rowing, burpees, single unders or double unders and some sort of strength movement like a deadlift or cleans, if you are doing the scaled version.

Train for Competing:

Be ready to be judged! It is not like a regular class where the trainer is watching another 8-12 people. A judge will be assigned to you and will watch every rep! No “good enough”. Either you squatted below parallel or you get the feared “NO REP!”. I got dinged on thrusters so Kylie got to do all of them! Sorry honey.

Where am I going with this? Wall balls will be in a WOD for the comp, so make sure any time you do wall balls you squat to full depth, get the ball over the line, and make sure the ball touches the wall. Aim small, miss small. Don’t aim for the line, aim for a crack in the concrete block just above the line and try to hit that crack. You may miss the crack; however, you’ll hit the wall every time. Another one is Ab-mat sit ups. Hands go on your your shoulders, back and head touches the floor, sit up and your elbows have to touch your knees. Hands do not leave your shoulders, otherwise,…NO REP! Do them this way every time.

Be Prepared:

Bands, rollers, lax ball, yoga mat, chalk, Oly shoes, jump rope, and tape. Bring them. Progenex, shaker bottle, coconut water, food, regular water, and beer. Bring them too. Camp chair, towels, Bio Freeze or Ben Gay, TP, and hand sanitizer. Be prepared for a port-a-potty. A tent isn’t necessary but does help if the sun is out. We take one and I recommend it. My point is, you have been doing CrossFit for a while if you are doing a competition so you already have a good idea of what you may need, so bring it. No such thing as over packing.

EAT!

I screwed up on this part. I don’t like to eat much before I work out so, of course, I didn’t eat much during the day. Our heats went at 8:30am, 11:30am, and 1:00pm. We left our house at 5:45am, met up with everyone, and got on the road about 6:20am. It took an hour to get there. By the time we got there, got unpacked, and set up the tent, it was just about time to go in for the orientation. Next thing you know, it’s 8:30am and I hadn’t eaten much or warmed up, so the first WOD sucked.

My point is make sure you are well fueled. Otherwise you’ll be flat all day and perform poorly. We brought food, I just didn’t eat much of it. I had a couple of Progenex shakes throughout the day however they are not the same as real whole food.

Warm Up:

Going in to a WOD cold leads to bad performance and injury. Use the down time to stretch and roll everything out. The Box had a nice warm up area set up with weights, Airdynes, a rower, kettle bells, etc. Use the stuff that is provided or bring your own. Most of the competitions I have been to also have massage therapy on-site and maybe somebody who uses kinesology tape, so take advantage! It’s free and if you like the service you can spread the word on Social Media.

Cheer Everyone On:

For many people it may be their first competition so cheer them on. Not all of us are elite and it’s still like the first day of school out there. How many people do you know who like to have strangers watch them sweat? Not many probably. Some cheers of encouragement go a long way.

Be Nice to Everyone:

Thank the volunteers. They gave up their day or weekend so you could compete. We are all part of the same cult so introduce yourself to others. Stick around afterwards and have a few cocktails. Ever been to a dry CrossFit event? Nope. Me either. Always a good time afterwards.

SO, what competition are you signing up for?

CrossFit Rook