CrossFit Open 22.2

crossfit open 22.2

Week 2 of the 2022 CrossFit Open will be announced live from Ohio.

Many Open participants were pleased to be able to RX last week’s workout, however the heavy deadlifts in 22.2 may be a dividing factor between the categories. Not only do you have to lift heavy, you’ll have to move fast.

What is the CrossFit Open 22.2?

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps for time of:

Deadlifts (155 lb 70kg / 225 lb 102 kg)
Bar-facing burpees

Time cap: 10 minutes

PICSIL discount

Score is the total time it takes to complete the entire workout or the total number of repetitions completed before the 10-minute time cap.

Workoutsheet and Scorecard

YouTube video

First Thoughts

it’s a trap.     

22.2 starts innocently enough with each round increasing by only one rep. The trouble is that you don't realize how much you're hurting until you’ve already reached the larger sets.

Just when you think you're nearly finished you're actually only halfway through. While descending the latter seems easier psychologically, by this point you've accumulated a lot of time under tension and only a few minutes remain until the time cap.

This WOD is won in the second half so the sooner you accept it, the better: 22.2 ends in the pain cave.

Pacing Strategy

Your strategy here will definitely depend on your capacity. Understand that for many athletes, this workout will be an AMRAP so move accordingly. Just like 22.1, be smart about how you use the full time and don’t redline hot too soon.

Even if you have good stamina, or the deadlifts don’t feel too heavy, break them up earlier than you think. You’ll benefit more from resting for those few seconds rather than trying to go unbroken. Taking mini breaks in the deads will save you a lot of pain later down the line without sacrificing too much time. 

On the other hand, you can make up a lot of time by holding a consistent cadence in the burpees. Adapt your pace if you find that your heart rate is getting up too high, but don’t stop! 

Transition smoothly between the last deadlift of the set and the first burpee. As soon as you drop the bar, your chest should be on the floor.

You'll be tempted to go fast especially in the last few minutes of the WOD, but don't get sloppy. Touching the bar while performing the burpees and failing to straddle the line are both easy ways to get a no rep.

Equipment Set-up

Luckily this one is pretty straightforward and minimal. All you’ll need is your loaded bar, and a line of tape that intersects with it. Remember that your barbell should be locked with collars, you may not wear gymnastics grips, and only the athlete may touch the bar during the workout.

Warm up

You can almost guarantee that if the time cap is 10 minutes or less, the workout is gonna hurt. Unfortunately, 22.2 is no exception to the rule. Since you'll have to start at a high intensity, it is crucial to have a thorough warm up. 

We highly recommend that you check out GOWOD to make sure that at 3, 2, 1, go, you're firing on all cylinders. Check out the QR code below for a free walkthrough, care of GOWOD:

With a fast and heavy WOD like this one, you’ll want to make sure that your posterior chain is loose enough to move through its full range of motion but can also fire up when needed.

Following some soft tissue work and dynamic stretching, try this explosive EMOM to get your energy systems up and running:

5’ Assault Bike (Easy Pace)*
* Every minute on the minute: 5 seconds max effort sprint

From there, begin to warm up your deadlifts working through a full and fluid range of motion. Practice dropping your barbell and going directly into the burpees.

Movement Guide

Deadlift

Watching the live announcement, we see how quickly the professional athletes are able to move between the two exercises however you have to consider that the prescribed weight of 22.2 is only about 40% of their max deadlift.

If the weight is closer to 70 or 80% of your max, you’ll have to be a bit more careful setting up for the lift. Fight for good technique throughout the workout.

Remember: a back is for a lifetime, not just the Open!

Bar-facing Burpee

There's more than one way to skin a cat, and there's more than one way to cycle through burpees.

This year we've seen some leniency with the two-foot takeoff rule that has been enforced in previous years.

In 22.2, the athlete does NOT need to use a two-foot takeoff, so don't be afraid to take advantage if necessary.

Stepping up from the burpee is also allowed and can be really helpful in keeping your heart rate down so practice your footwork before the WOD.

When you’re ready to step on the gas, snap up from your burpee with a staggered step. Stay low and turn in the air as you pass over the bar.

Hot Tips

  • Save your grip: use a mixed grip on your deadlifts
  • Consider using a lifting belt to take some of the stress off your lower back
  • Cool down with some rotational work for your lumbar spine to keep your back strong and healthy for 22.3

With 22.2 in the books, we’re already past the hump! Get pumped and get after it, but don’t forget to cool down afterwards and recover well. Two Open workouts down, one to go.

Where can you watch it?

Live Stream: Thursday March 3 at 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. GMT

Watch the announcement live from Games.CrossFit.com or via YouTube.

YouTube video

Fittest Teen on Earth Emma Lawson competes against second place Games finisher Laura Horvath and four-time Games athlete Saxon Panchik faces off against the current CrossFit Games champion Justin Medeiros.