We are on the brink of 17.1 and one of the questions that always comes up is, “how do I compete in the Open and continue to train?” Max El-Hag and Mike McGoldrick walk through how they approach the Open with their athletes – Games-level, Regional-level and those who just compete in the Open.
El-Hag adjusts his training methodology for each athlete based on their ability-level and how hard they need to work to advance to the next stage. Of course, things can change mid-Open if things go awry.
For athletes who are on the cusp of making it to Regionals, El-Hag slightly modifies his programming. The biggest change is how he approaches Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday because of the likelihood that the athlete will need to repeat the workout on Monday. He still wants hard training following the Monday re-test and on Tuesday with the idea that maintaining fitness is important throughout the five weeks of the Open.
For those just having fun in the Open, El-Hag suggests that you don’t re-do the workouts. Do it once on a Friday or Saturday, do it and move on. Worrying about re-doing the workout will end up not being fun.
Check out the video created by CTP from Barbell Shrugged.
