Preparation for 13.3 by William Albritton
13.3…We are prepared to do very well in the workout. The past 8 weeks of training have focused on squat endurance which is why you will be able to blow through the wall balls. It’s as if we were doing those 30/20lb wall balls for a reason. You do double unders 1 – 3 times a week. You have done various pulls 2 – 3 times a week for the past year. You have practiced this type of workout many of times – getting your heart rate up then calming your body to finish with a high skilled movement like muscle ups or hand stand push ups. You are ready for this!
Trouble with double unders or muscle ups? Let me first address those of you that are not proficient at double unders or don’t yet have a muscle up. I would suggest getting through the wall balls as fast as possible. There is really not a reason to hold back. No need to do an 8 minute Karen if you can do 7 min. Also, your wall ball and double under time will be used as a tie breaker should you get hung up on muscle ups. If you really struggle with these movements, I would do this WOD one time on Sunday. If you had planned to do it twice, use that extra time to practice muscle ups and/or double unders. You have 3 days to practice these movements. A lot of females around the world got their first muscle up in this work out last year. I expect the same will happen with our team.
Movement Prep – Here is a video from Kelly Starett from last year’s 12.4 (at the time of this email, he has not released a new one for 13.3 or I have not seen it).
Movement Prep & Efficient Movement – Video – Carl Paoli 13.3. Here is 12.4.
Shoes – Oly shoes are the way to go here. 60% of your reps are coming from wall balls. The small advantage of a raised heel and therefore more efficient squat position will go a long way. The exception would be those that are concerned about double unders. You can kick your shoes off for muscle ups.
Equipment – This is one time for the year that I don’t care if you lay chalk on the ground beside your rings – only because Kristin Clever did it. You don’t need to be walking across the gym to get chalk. Lay your rope out neatly. Make sure everyone knows where their rope is located and which rope is theirs. This seems simple but last year we had someone get to double unders and their rope was gone.
Wall Balls – Is it better to pace yourself by splitting up the reps early or should you go all out and stop when needed? This one is up to you. There are plenty of athletes that attempted 12.4 twice and used both methods. Some had better results pacing it and others did better burning out. One thing is certain – you need to develop a strategy with specific rep schemes. Set a goal for your initial unbroken set. Then plan how many reps you will get in each set until you reach 150. Once you break, your first thought should be the number of reps you will get the next set. Do not let your mind wonder. Only think about the next number that you WILL get. Based on how you feel, exceed that rep count. Listen to your body. We have a mental barrier that tells us to stop on even reps. If you truly listen to your body, you will almost always need to stop on a number like 63 and not 60. Don’t let a number limit you. If your goal was to get 40 wall balls but you feel like you are doing little more than air squats at that number, then exceed it. Rest your arms between each rep. Bring them to your side or shoulders. Do not leave them extended in the air.
Double Unders – Do not stop to rest! You may get tripped up but don’t stop for the sole purpose of catching your breath.
Muscle Ups – The workout changes here. Up to this point, you went to exhaustion on every set. I would like you to keep your muscle up reps fairly consistent on each set – stay fresh. You want to avoid burning out on the first set then getting singles the rest of the time. If you can do 10 unbroken muscle ups, break it into sets of 4 or 5, then go to sets of 3 then sets of 2 if necessary. Or start with sets of 3 or 4 and keep that number consistent. With a minute or so left, there is no holding back any longer – burn them out.
This workout is about mental toughness more so than most. The wall balls and double unders are going to burn. You know that. If you can tolerate pain, you are going to surprise yourself with your performance.
“I can endure more pain than anyone you’ve ever met. That’s why I can beat anyone I’ve ever met.” – Steve Prefontaine
Join us at CFA as top regional competitors perform 13.5 – click here for more info.
