03/06/2026
Open 26.2 is here… and it’s going to light up your shoulders!
If you want to hit the WOD but an injury is keeping you from going RX, here are a few smart modifications to consider:
Shoulder pain with pull-ups?
Try switching to a chin-up. The supinated grip often allows athletes to perform vertical pulling with less shoulder irritation. Since we can’t really kip a chin-up, add band assistance so you can still complete sets similar to the RX rep scheme.
Shoulders not loving the overhead position?
Two easy swaps:
• Change the dumbbell sn**ch → dumbbell hang clean
• Change the overhead lunge → front rack dumbbell lunge
Both keep the workout moving while removing the end-range overhead demand. Since these variations are a bit easier than the RX versions, consider going heavier to maintain the stimulus.
Pregnant or early postpartum athlete?
If full kipping isn’t appropriate right now, use a toe-assisted kipping pull-up to reduce the load while still training the movement pattern.
The goal isn’t just to survive the Open—it’s to compete in a way that keeps you healthy and training long after it’s over.
Onward Physical Therapy is proud to be the Official Physical Therapy Provider of the 2026 CrossFit Games.
