The 2023 CrossFit Games should prove to be another worthy test of strength, endurance, versatility, and athleticism for the globe’s greatest CrossFitters. When the sport’s community descends on Madison, WI, on August 1-6, 2023, they’ll also be prepared for the gauntlet of obstacles that stands between them and ultimate glory.
On July 19, 2023, the CrossFit Games organization began revealing some of the workouts planned for the six-day flagship contest in Wisconsin’s state Capitol. For those familiar with CrossFit’s usual workouts, some familiar elements will likely be in play. Though, a few surprises to keep the respective athletes in every division off balance shouldn’t be out of the question. Justin Medeiros is the two-time defending Men’s Individual champion, while the legendary Tia-Clair Toomey voluntarily vacated the Women’s throne as she focused on her first pregnancy.
As the competition nears, Breaking Muscle will continue updating this overview of the upcoming workouts as the CrossFit organization gradually reveals them in advance of competition. Breaking Muscle will provide available details accordingly.
2023 CrossFit Games Workouts
- Ride
- Pig Chipper
- Inverted Medley
- Alpaca Redux
- Ski Bag
- Helena
- Cross-Country 5K
- Intervals
- Olympic Weightlifting Total
- Muscle-up Logs
- Parallel-bar Pull
- Echo Thruster Final
Here’s a running list and overview of the workouts at the 2023 CrossFit Games revealed so far:
Thursday, August 3
Ride
In CrossFit Games tradition, there will be a bike ride, it will be long, and it will ask the athletes to test their speed and endurance at the same time. This year’s “Ride,” where the respective competitors will utilize a Trek brand mountain bike, will see the athletes ride through flat elevation with grass and dirt terrain as they accumulate as many laps as possible in 40 minutes.
40-minute AMRAP:
- Complete as many laps as possible on a Trek 8 Mountain Bike
Pig Chipper
The “pig chipper” is the first 2023 CrossFit Games workout to be revealed in full detail. Competitors will have to manhandle the Pig — a specialized implement nearly eight-feet tall, roughly three-feet wide, and 20-inches high, weighing up to 254 kilograms (560 pounds). The unique equipment will be incorporated into a chipper-style workout requiring athletes to complete, as quickly as possible:
- 10 pig flips
- 25 chest-to-bar pull-ups
- 50 toes-to-bar
- 100 wall ball shots
- 50 toes-to-bar
- 25 chest-to-bar pull-ups
- 10 pig flips
Inverted Medley
“Inverted Medley” will be the final test on Thursday. Competitors will need to be impeccably balanced and focused for this workout. Ramps and pirouettes will make an appearance, and athletes must also complete 30-foot handstand walks unbroken. While 2022 introduced the deficit wall-facing handstand push-up, 2023 will see the return of the free-standing handstand push-up, which made its debut at the 2021 CrossFit Games.
For time:
- 30-foot unbroken handstand walk over the ramp
- 8 free-standing handstand push-ups
- Unbroken obstacle steps to a 180-degree pirouette
- 16 pull-overs
- 360-degree pirouette to an unbroken step obstacle
- 8 free-standing handstand push-ups
- 30-foot unbroken handstand walk over the ramp
Time cap: 7 minutes
Friday, August 4
Alpaca Redux
“Alpaca” was scheduled as the first test on Sunday during the 2022 CrossFit Games. However, rain forced the Games organizers to change the test and cut the legless rope climbs. In 2023, “Alpaca” makes a return with some slight adjustments in the rep scheme. Athletes will have to push the Alpaca sled, which weighs 136 pounds when empty, for 126-feet, starting with all six kettlebells on the sled and decreasing the load every 42-feet. They will then perform three rounds of legless rope climbs, kettlebell clean & jerks, and a 42-foot sled push, this time adding weight after each round.
For time:
- 126-foot sled push, starting with all six kettlebells (removing two kettlebells every 42-feet)
Then, three rounds:
- 2 legless rope climbs
- 12 kettlebell clean & jerks
- 42-foot sled push (adding two kettlebells to the sled after each round)
Time cap: 18 minutes
Ski Bag
“Ski Bag” is one of two events scheduled for Friday night inside the Coliseum. In addition to completing calories on the ski erg, athletes will perform sandbag squats. The sandbag will weigh 200 pounds for the men and 125 pounds for the women. The first round of cuts will be made at the end of Friday’s events, so athletes will have to dig deep during this workout if they want to make it to Saturday.
For time:
- 30-calorie ski erg
- 30 sandbag squats
- 20-calorie ski erg
- 20 sandbag squats
Time cap: 6 minutes
Helena
Athletes will do a version of the benchmark workout, “Helen,” which CrossFit has dubbed “Helena” for the 2023 Games. As a benchmark workout, the circuit is familiar to competitive CrossFit athletes as well as recreational lifters in any CrossFit box. “Helen” centers around a fast-paced series of running, kettlebell swings, and pull-ups. “Helena” will keep the run but swap pull-ups for bar muscle-ups and kettlebell swings for dumbbell snatches.
Three rounds for time:
- 400-meter run
- 12 bar muscle-ups
- 21 dumbbell snatches (50 pounds for the men, 35 pounds for the women)
Time cap: 11 minutes
Saturday, August 5
Cross-Country 5K
The running concept may appear simple and straightforward enough. While it’s currently unclear where or when this will precisely take place, most of the 2023 CrossFit Games competitors will run five kilometers (3.1 miles), presumably for time as one of the workouts at the competition. However, suppose the Cross-Country 5K is anything like “The Capitol” workout from the 2022 Games, which incorporated a slightly longer distance run. In that case, it may occur somewhere around the Wisconsin State Capitol grounds and feature some sort of heavy, awkward implements to carry. In the 2023 edition, lower-extremity Adaptive athletes will perform five kilometers on a SkiErg machine instead of running.
Intervals
“Intervals” will have the competitors perform multiple intervals of the common 21-15-9 rep scheme with movements that most CrossFitters love to hate: rowing, box jumps, and burpees. Athletes will perform two intervals for time, starting with 21 box jump overs. After resting until the 6-minute mark, they will then perform two more intervals, this time starting with 9 burpee box jump-overs.
Two intervals for time:
- 21 box jump overs (24/20 inches)
- 15-calorie row
- 9 burpee box jump overs
- 21 box jump overs
- 15-calorie row
- 9 burpee box jump overs (48/36 inches)
Rest until the 6-minute mark, then:
- 9 burpee box jump-overs
- 15-calorie row
- 21 box jump-overs
- 9 burpee box jump-overs
- 15-calorie row
- 21 box jump-overs
Time cap: 12 minutes
Olympic Weightlifting Total
In what seems to be a familiar sight at the CrossFit Games, athletes will perform movements entirely adherent to Olympic weightlifting within this workout. Competitors are already familiar with the clean & jerk and the snatch. This workout will combine the two and ask a lot out of their explosive strength. As the name suggests, scores will likely be determined by the total weight lifted.
Sunday, August 6
Muscle-up Logs
Athletes who have survived two rounds of cuts to make it to Sunday will first be tested with a combination of gymnastics and strongman movements. After completing ring muscle-ups, they’ll perform sandbag carries and toss the sandbag over a log three times. The sandbag weight will be 150 pounds for the men and 100 pounds for the women for the first four rounds, then increase to 200 and 125 pounds for the fifth and final round. This workout is sure to be taxing on the competitors’ grip and biceps.
5 rounds for time
- 7 muscle-ups
- 1 sandbag over 3 logs (rounds 1 through 4: 150/100 pounds; round 5: 200/125 pounds)
Time cap: 13 minutes
Parallel-Bar Pull
Athletes saw the parallel-bars for the first time in 2022 and will see them again in this second-to-last event for the 2023 Games. Heavy-rope double-unders and hand-over-hand sled pulls will also appear in this workout that will challenge the competitors’ pulling strength and upper body endurance.
8 rounds for time:
- Down and back P-bar traverse
- 30 heavy-rope double-unders
- 1 section hand-over-hand sled pull
Echo Thruster Final
Ending with overhead walking lunges has become a bit of a tradition, and it will continue in the 2023 Games. Competitors will sprint for calories on the Echo Bike, then complete thrusters with decreasing reps and increasing weight each round. The points spread at the top for both the men and women is closer than it’s been in years, and the athletes will no doubt leave it all out on the floor as they fight for spots on the podium.
For time:
21-18-15
- Echo Bike calories
- Thrusters (115/85 pounds) (135/95 pounds) (155/105 pounds)
Then:
- 66-foot overhead walking lunge (155/105 pounds)
The 2023 CrossFit Games will test the physical preparation and mental toughness of everyone in the contest’s field. Expecting the catalog of events to keep athletes on their toes should probably be the baseline.
Featured image: @crossfitgames on Instagram
