The Games will once again put the athletes through the wringer.
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
Here’s a running list and overview of the workouts at the 2023 CrossFit Games revealed so far:
Helen
Date and time: To be determined
A CrossFit staple, the organization hasn’t announced the exact format for “Helen” during the 2023 Games but said the athletes will do “do a version of the benchmark workout, Helen.” 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. At the time of this writing, it is unclear which day and what time Helen will take place during the Games.
The standard Helen workout is below:
Three rounds for time:
- 400-meter run
- 21 Kettlebell swings (22.7 kilograms/50 pounds for Men, 15.9 kilograms/35 pounds for women)
- 12 Pull-ups
Cross-Country 5K
Date and time: To be determined
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.
Olympic Weightlifting Total
Date and time: To be determined
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
Gymnastics Skills
Date and time: To be determined
Athletes will “complete a gymnastics skills test” during an upcoming workout. If past editions of gymnastics-based workouts are any indication, the CrossFit athletes will need to be impeccably balanced and focused during this workout. While the exact format is unclear at this time, spectators can likely expect some measure of a handstand walk as at least one feature at the 2023 Games. Knowing how the competition usually works, there will more than likely be another element or two.
Trek Bike
Date and time: To be determined
In CrossFit Games tradition, there will be a bike ride, it will be long, and it will likely ask the athletes to test their speed and endurance at the same time. This year’s “Trek Bike,” where the respective competitors will utilize a Trek brand mountain bike, may see the athletes ride through a challenging, extended obstacle course that tests their fortitude as riders or it may be a more standardized, distance-based race for time.
Pig Chipper
Date and time: To be determined
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
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
