Well... I don’t think anyone expected Wall Walks in the Open!

That being said, it is a pretty cool movement to test people. It is more approachable than Handstand Walks. The judging should be pretty easy (although chalk handprints on the floor will drive gym owners mad).

It isn’t the most ‘functional’ movement in the CrossFit arsenal, but it will challenge people’s coordination and flexibility.

Watch the video for the full breakdown, but here are the high points:

Overall

• 55 total Wall Walks
• Kari Pearce and Kristi Eramo O’Connel started at about 6 seconds per rep and dropped to 9-12 seconds per rep by the end. You’ll want to pace these!
• 550 total Double Unders
• 2-4 seconds per rep average for people who are good at DUs (including some breaks and transitions).

First 2 Rounds

For the sets of 1/10 and 3/30, go fast. Get these out of the way quickly (but avoid no reps and sloppy movement).

Rounds 3 and Beyond

Start being more deliberate on the 6 and 9 wall walks. Remember that the 15s and 21 represent 65% of the total reps!.

Double Unders

Let’s start with DUs since they are pretty straightforward.

• Keep in mind that if you are inefficient on these, you will be punished on the Wall Walks. Keep your hands close to your hips and your shoulders relaxed. Double Unders are all about using just your ankles and your wrists. Keep your knees locked and do not bend at the hips.
• Place your rope deliberately on the ground after each rep. There are few things more frustrating than picking up a jump rope that is tangled or chasing it down because you threw it out of frustration.
• Go for big sets early on, but if your shoulders are blowing up from the Wall Walks, consider doing smaller sets so you can have a bit of a break (and save your shoulders).

Wall Walks

• Pick a wall where that you won’t put holes in and that has good traction.
• PRACTICE them quite a bit before attempting the workout. Especially if you aren’t familiar with them!
• Pick shoes with good traction. This will ensure that you don’t slip and end up with and inadvertent ‘no rep’ and require less muscular tension
• This is a movement that rewards shoulder and wrist mobility. Turn your fingers out if you have wrist problems. These are not the same as HS Walks. You will not need as much control for balance.
• Avoid pressing up (like a Push-Up) each rep. Peel your body up and shoot your hips back to save your arms.
• Start going up the wall each rep by locking your elbows and shoulders so you aren’t pressing into the rep or using muscular tension to hold position.
• Look for the tape each rep and AVOID NO REPS LIKE THE PLAUGE. On movements that take a lot of time and muscular tension, ‘no reps’ are the WORST. They’ll kill you on time wasted and energy wasted.
• Avoid ‘grinding’ reps out when you are tired. You are better off moving quickly and then resting on the ground between reps. When you grind, you will waste a ton of energy holding the position and moving slow. Save this for the last rep or two as the time runs out!

Final Thoughts

You may consider doing this one more than once (especially if you aren’t familiar with Wall Walks, if you get a lot of no reps, or if your DUs were ‘off’ that day). As usual, if you are doing this at a gym, make sure you ask them their policy on doing repeats so you aren’t putting too much load on the coaching/judging staff.

Have fun! 

Only 2 more weeks to go!

Thrive on.

-jj