Training, nutrition, lifestyle and more.

QHP training

Want to fuel your training like a pro?

We are already a week into the 2022 CrossFit Open and, with two weeks still remaining, we wanted to make sure you are all making the most of it!


Every year we see and hear the same things, from the beginner, all the way to the competitor who is hoping to make semi finals. So here are a few tips to getting what you actually want from the Open.



Our opinion on this is that, irregardless of your Open goals, if you are a driven individual and you finish a workout knowing you could have done more, go for it. There is no worse feeling than knowing you didn’t give your all on something at the time you did it, or you realised you did something stupid and you could have shaved seconds off your round times. This is someone chasing self improvement and we are all for it! HOWEVER. Did you finish happy with your efforts, and only after finding out your friends / arch enemies score decided you MUST go again. You simply aren’t good enough unless you beat this score. This is not healthy. Basing your success off the results of others isn’t a recipe for long term improvement. If you only went harder after seeing your friends score as a target to aim for then you should start asking yourself why you couldn’t achieve that score in the first place. The answer is belief in yourself.

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Imagine you only have the chance to do each workout once. This is an in person competition or you can’t make it to the gym next week because of some crazy world ending storm in the UK (LOL). If you approach the workout knowing you may do it again, chances are you will ease up when it gets hard.
In the warm up, practice the pace that gets you the score that you want. It sounds so simple but not many of us do it. If you know you want 10 rounds in a 15 min AMRAP, do a warm up round at 1:30 pace per round and see how it feels, from here you will know if this is achievable or if you actually could aim for more.

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Follow your coaches guide, these guys are here to help you. They've probably been through the open many times before and seen it all before. Ask for workout tips, warm up exercises, how to cool down and follow their lead on how to train between workouts.


This is especially important for those training for Quarter Finals. Obsessing over the workout you did on Friday and missing Saturdays session to be able to repeat the workout on Monday isn’t setting you up for success in the next stage. Even if it means you have to accept you could have done more in the Open. Return to your normal routine straight away and focus on what you can be doing each day to be better for next week.


Actual friends, not people you just want to beat. Go head to head with people who push and support you and and vice versa. Suffering is always better with company.


This should be pretty standard anyway however it is especially important during the Open as you probably are more stressed, have consumed more caffeine and are pushing harder than usual. Hydrate, eat well, take rest days, stretch and get your sleep routine in order. These are all things you can control, what you do outside the gym will have a big impact on how you perform inside the gym.

AVOID the leaderboard until Tuesday morning.


This is when everything is final and no matter how many times you check it, there’s nothing you can do about it. People will put in scores wrong, don’t stress when you see someone finish a 20:00 workout in 09:30 - they aren’t good with technology. Go back to your normal routine, watch Netflix with your wife, or cat, or by yourself, nobody wants to hear that on Saturday night you were 29th and now you’re 37th but will probably change 100 more times.


With all that being said. Go and get it these last two weeks, enjoy the process, trust your fitness and test the work you've been putting in over the last year.

How to thrive during the Crossfit Open

Why is mobility so important? During our everyday life we put a high
demand on our joints such as; walking, climbing stairs, sitting
down, picking things up and this is before we go to the gym! Therefore having a decent mobility of our joints is crucial to ensure we avoid injury and can continue living our day to day lives. 

Everybody is different in terms of their mobility needs but in todays society of more sitting and less movement, most people could benefit from a little mobility TLC from time to time.

No matter what your day consists of, whether you sit at a desk all day, enjoy long runs, do a Crossfit class daily or you have a long commute, adding in a short daily mobility routine will not only work wonders on your body but also your mind.

These are movements that can either wake your body up in the morning or help you to wind down in the evening. Try adding these in 3-4 times a week for a more limber and comfortable body.

Start on all fours- hands directly under shoulders knees directly under hips. 

On an inhale engage your core to pull your middle and upper back towards the ceiling, try to suck your belly button in towards your back, curl hips under and chin in towards your body (you should feel a stretch across the top of your back) hold for 1-3s. On the exhale relax your core arch your back, push bellybutton towards the floor, turn hips and chin up towards the ceiling and hold for 1-3s. Move back and forth between cat-cow for 60s.

Start on all fours- tuck toes under, straighten legs out, lift your hips into the air push back and length your spine. Keep a slight bend in your legs if your hamstrings are tight, you want your weight pushed back into your legs. Hold for 60-120s, bend and straighten legs as needed, focus on turning tailbone up towards the ceiling and keep fingers spread and pushed into the floor.

Start lying face down hands perpendicular to body palms down, then lift
left leg up and over towards right hand, letting left hip and shoulder roll off floor to create a twist through spine and torso. Hold for 3-5s return to middle then repeat on the right side. This is a more dynamic stretch, keep moving for 60-90s at steady pace increasing range throughout reps.

Start sitting tall, legs hip width apart with a slight bend in
your knees. Drop both knees down to the left to the floor stay sitting tall, transition straight back to the middle then drop both knees down to the right to the floor. Focus on smooth transitions, upright torso and full movement of legs and hips. Switch between left and right for 60s.

These movements shouldn't take longer than 8-10 minutes and are said to help
power up your brain, improve focus, coordination and mental stability. Some
may also relieve muscle aches & pains and help with stress to calm you down.
Perfect to start or finish the day with!

4 Easy Daily Mobility Exercises 

We can all be guilty of rushing into our workouts, maybe because we are running late, being a little lazy or don’t actually know what to do.

The reality is most of us would benefit from spending a little more time on our warm ups, instead of trying to squeeze in that extra section at the end of our session.

We are basically preparing the body for the work it is about to do. Awakening our systems by raising our body temperature and increasing blood flow to our muscles.

This preparation is going to lower our risk of injury by improving the range of motion that our joints can go through and activate the muscles needed to prepare movement.

At the start of each session you should do a general warm up that includes a pulse raiser, dynamic stretches and activation of all muscle groups needed for your session.

This should be relatively short, sharp and leave you feeling ready to go!

Before each section make sure you feel comfortable with the movement you are about to perform. For example you wouldn’t crank straight in to your muscle ups or 80% of your max deadlift. Break skills down and build the weights gradually.

Warm Ups

A key factor to how we feel, perform and recover from training comes down to what we eat before we hit the gym. If we fuel our bodies correctly you will:

Have consistent energy throughout your session

Create sustainable & simple nutrition habits

Be more alert, which may even help prevent injuries.

Here are the two key windows to consider:

High carbohydrates and moderate protein. The carbs are your energy source and the protein is to help decrease muscle protein breakdown, which will aid your recovery.

This is plenty of time before training so should be a full meal. For example white rice and chicken with little to no fats or even something simple like oats, berries & protein powder is perfect.

Fast acting carbs that top up your muscle glycogen stores - basically giving you more readily available energy!

Something that sits comfortably in your stomach, digests easily and leaves you feeling ready for the session ahead.

Easy options include dried fruit & crackers, rice cakes with jam, liquid carbs or a handful of candy (every so often 😉)

This is completely individual as we all process and react to caffeine differently. The recommended amount pre training is 2-5mg per kg of body weight, so play around with what works for you.

This may give you an extra boost of energy, increased strength & endurance performance due to feeling less fatigued. Common caffeine sources include coffee, pre workouts or caffeine gums and tablets. *Be cautious if you’re an evening trainer - see our sleep post!

Just remember how we eat is very individual and what works for you may not work for someone else. Therefore spend a bit of time trying different foods for certain sessions and keep track of how you’re feeling and performing.

Pre training fuel

Here are some ways to get a more restful nights sleep:

A good sleep routine starts from the moment you wake up! Sunlight will suppress melatonin production & increase cortisol which is crucial to get you up and running.

If you wake up before the sun, try a dawn simulator which mimics the light of day instead of just beeping at you!

Try to give yourself a little bit of time to ease into the day and avoid going straight into a state of stress.

Depending on your genetics and other various factors it can take up to 9 hours for caffeine to clear your system, making it hard to nod off at night. So be wary of drinking your coffee too late in the day.

Try to check in with yourself to see if you need a coffee or just want one, if the latter, go for a decaf.

Try not to eat a large meal close to bedtime as your body may find it difficult to settle while trying to digest.

Try having a smaller snack 30-60 minutes before bed. Some foods may even improve sleep quality such as: oats, bananas, cherries, yoghurt, nuts and dark chocolate. Make it something you enjoy!

Wind down and relax. Try and avoid screen time 30-60 minutes before sleep as blue light can effect our hormone levels, releasing cortisol and decreasing melatonin production, which can prevent you from falling asleep.

Sleep cycles are 90 minutes long, so ideally we want to wake up at the end of one and not half way through (that’s why sometimes we feel groggy).

Start by setting yourself a wake time for each day of the week and from here work backwards in 90 minute cycles to set yourself a bed time.

These are easy fixes that go a long way to giving you a better quality sleep!
Aim for a room temperature from 15-19 degrees C, get your bedroom as dark as possible and keep your bedding fresh. Even things like a heavy blanket to feel comfortable and safe make a difference.

Check out the resources we shared or if you know of any others, drop them below.

The Power of Sleep

 Physical activity is key to a healthier body. A 10 minute walk after meals is said to lower blood glucose levels and aid in digestion, not only that but daily movement can help reduce anxiety & depression. This alongside a dose of Vitamin D from the sun will go a long way. So get moving!

 Staying hydrated throughout the day is key to keeping your bodily functions running correctly. Water is crucial for removing toxins, keeping your brain alert, relieving fatigue and improving skin health and circulation.

 Eating real food will not only save your bank account, but will lead to more consistent energy levels, better weight regulation, decreased gut issues and an increase in micronutrients consumed.

 Heck yes to consuming Alcohol moderately, however overdoing alcohol not only leads to over consuming calories, but also decreases recovery, disrupts sleep and is a depressant which means it can have a negative impact on your mental health, affecting your thoughts, feelings and actions in every day life.

 Steer clear of juice only diets and crazy calorie cuts, you’re not going to live the rest of your life like this. We’re looking to build sustainable habits, so start small and make little food changes where you can.

We’re not here with any fancy pills, but we will be by your side while you do the boring stuff that actually matters.

Try sticking to this for all of Jan, then take 2022 one month at a time.

The more often you do it, the simpler it becomes!

Training, nutrition, lifestyle and more.

Information

Community

Programming

Training, nutrition, lifestyle and more.

How to thrive during the Crossfit Open

4 Easy Daily Mobility Exercises

Warm Ups

Pre training fuel

The Power of Sleep

New Year - New Habits

Information

Community

Programming