Cycle #1: The Engine Room – 2026 Open Prep Begins

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📅 Cycle #1: The Engine Room – 2026 Open Prep Begins

Our first 4-week cycle of 2026 is here! This cycle marks the start of a critical 8-week macro-cycle specifically designed to prepare you for the 2026 CrossFit Open & Defined Intramurals, which begins on February 26.

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We are moving out of the holiday maintenance phase and into high-gear preparation. This cycle is all about building the structural and skill foundation needed for the Open, setting the stage for Cycle #2, which will serve as our official "Open Peaking Phase."

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🎯 Why We're Doing This: The Outcome

This cycle is designed with intentional progression to bridge the gap between strength and metabolic power.

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• The 8-Week Build: Cycle #1 and Cycle #2 work together to ensure you peak at the right time for the Open and our gym's Intramurals.
• Capacity Over Absolute Strength: We are moving away from 1-rep max tests and absolute strength on major lifts. Instead, we are committing fully to building the stamina, power, and cardio endurance required for the Open.
• Engine Building: You will see a significant shift toward more Olympic weightlifting, higher-level gymnastics skills, and aggressive metcons to increase your total training capacity.

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💪 Specific Capacities & Skill Development

The Open historically favors specific movements. We will spend our time practicing these skills based on their historical frequency in prior Open workouts.

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• Gymnastics Efficiency: We are slowing things down to focus on high-level skill acquisition. Expect dedicated time to practice Muscle-Ups, Handstand Walking/Pushups, Toes to Bar, Chest to Bar Pullups, and more.
• Common Skills: We will be refining the "bread and butter" Open movements like Double Unders, Toes to Bar, and Pullups to ensure maximum efficiency under fatigue.
• Fresh Practice: You will have opportunities to practice these complex movements fresh before the conditioning workout to build both confidence and better technique.

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🏋️ Weightlifting / Barbell Cycling

Since the Open typically features moderate loads rather than 1RM tests, our barbell work is shifting focus.

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• Barbell Cycling Technique: We are increasing our exposure to Olympic movements specifically to improve barbell cycling.
• Lifting Under Duress: You will practice moving moderate-load Olympic lifts while metabolically taxed. This builds the specific work capacity needed to keep moving when the heart rate is high.

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💥 Conditioning: Open Benchmark Prep

To get our minds and bodies geared toward competition, we will be using past CrossFit Open workouts as our conditioning benchmarks.

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• Metabolic Feel: Practicing these prior workouts will help you get a "feel" for the specific metabolic conditioning needed for the 2026 season.
• The Intramural Advantage: Even if you aren't officially "signing up" for the Open, this cycle is a fantastic opportunity to dial in your conditioning and see what you can achieve during our Annual Defined Intramurals.

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🚀 What’s Next?

Once we complete this 8-week Open prep macro-cycle, we will transition back to building top-end absolute strength as we prepare for our Powerlifting / 1,000lb Club training. But for now—it's time to build the engine!

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