Crossfit Open 17.5 Mobility Prep

It’s the last week of the open and we have ourselves a classic-style couplet: thrusters and double unders. Although two relatively simple movements, at a relatively light weight for the thrusters, the combination and cumulative fatigue over 10 rounds can wreak havoc on your shoulders and forearms. Some specific prep work for your shoulders and wrists will help, but even more key will be your positioning in the thruster. Getting in to a solid squat position and maintaining an upright torso during the thrusters will allow your skeleton to take on the load of the barbell, versus having to hold it up as you lean forward – increasing shoulder tension and using grip strength – which will be detrimental in your both your lock-out overhead and double unders as the rounds accumulate.

So, you guessed it! The video below works achieving the mobility required to maintain a solid front rack position, getting comfortable in the bottom of the squat (no no-reps!), preparing our shoulders to lock-out overhead, and prepping those feet and ankles for the fatigue with the double unders.

Be sure to check out videos from the first 4 weeks of the open as some of those drills will be useful here: including t-spine mobilizations, spinal segmenting, core activation and more!

Give this one your all and we’ll see you next year for 18.1!