March 18, 2025

Unraveling the Open: 25.3 - E.345

The CrossFit Open 25.3 delivered what many coaches are calling one of the best-programmed workouts in recent memory - a beautifully balanced challenge that created meaningful separation between athletes while remaining accessible to the broader community.

This final Open recap dives deep into what made 25.3 exceptional: the perfect blend of loading, metabolic demand, and skill requirements that put the fittest athletes in that brutal 10-12 minute time domain while offering a 20-minute cap for others to chase. The unexpected hero (or villain) of the workout? Wall walks, which proved to be the true separator among competitors.

Beyond just analyzing the workout, we explore a fundamental fitness truth: sticking feathers up your butt doesn't make you a chicken. Many athletes know which weaknesses they should address but avoid doing the necessary work. Whether it's improving shoulder mobility before attempting wall walks or developing proper positioning for deadlifts, addressing these fundamental limitations is crucial before attempting to build strength on a faulty foundation.

Looking at the Open programming as a whole, we break down how CrossFit successfully tested athletes across different time domains and energy systems. While some critics noted the absence of a traditional one-rep max strength test, we explain why the Open's approach to testing strength through sustained output makes perfect sense in identifying well-rounded fitness.

As we celebrate our leaderboard winners receiving exclusive new Misfit Athletics gear, we're also announcing the launch of our Off-Season Block 1 programming and Misfit Affiliate Ulysses Phase on Monday, March 24th. Ready to address the weaknesses the Open exposed? There's no better time to start the consistent, year-long journey that truly moves the needle on your fitness.

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Misfits! We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did and you're feeling generous throw us a review and let us know how we're doing, we'd really appreciate it.

If you'd like to join the Misfit family and get fit head to misfitathletics.com and start your free trial today.

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As always, shout out to our sponsors who make this podcast possible
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For your Individual programming needs - misfitathletics.com
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Chapters

00:00 - Intro & Prize Announcements

01:24 - New Programs Launch March 24th

04:34 - 25.3 Leaderboard & Prize Winners

13:20 - Complete Open Leaderboard Winners

16:35 - Why 25.3 Was Brilliantly Programmed

27:15 - Wall Walks as the True Separator

32:24 - First Principles in Fitness

38:53 - Open Programming Time Domains

46:00 - Strength Testing Discussion

48:50 - Closing Announcements

Transcript

WEBVTT

00:00:01.346 --> 00:00:06.628
We're all misfits, all right, you big, big bunch of misfits.

00:00:06.628 --> 00:00:15.388
You're a scrappy little misfit, just like me Biggest bunch of misfits I ever seen either.

00:00:17.022 --> 00:00:17.725
Good morning, misfits.

00:00:17.725 --> 00:00:23.353
You are tuning in to the 25.3 Open Recap Podcast.

00:00:23.353 --> 00:00:25.385
We're going to give away some stuff.

00:00:25.385 --> 00:00:30.513
We're going to do the leaderboards both for 25.3 and for the entire open.

00:00:30.513 --> 00:00:36.447
Um, for the entire open, those people are going to win the new misfit athletics gear.

00:00:36.447 --> 00:00:38.752
Um, with the new logo that no one has.

00:00:38.752 --> 00:00:40.863
So that's fun and exciting.

00:00:41.786 --> 00:00:44.375
Um, and then we're going to talk a little bit about 25.3,.

00:00:44.375 --> 00:00:48.767
Um, talk a little bit about the open programming in general.

00:00:48.767 --> 00:00:55.271
Um, and then I'm not going to lie to you guys, we've got a lot of podcasts to shoot this week, so we're going to fuck off and make more content for you.

00:00:55.271 --> 00:01:08.442
Um, so this one will be on the short side because, um, monday March 24th, six days from now, the misfit affiliate Ulysses phase.

00:01:08.442 --> 00:01:11.971
If you want to know what that means, tune into that next podcast that we'll be dropping.

00:01:11.971 --> 00:01:17.088
You can get that in a two-week free trial.

00:01:17.088 --> 00:01:20.408
You can check it out SugarWad, pushpress, streamfit.

00:01:20.408 --> 00:01:26.525
Go to teammisfitcom, click sign up now and you will see all your options for getting signed up and for that, that two week free trial.

00:01:27.066 --> 00:01:33.543
Also, monday March 24th is misfit athletics off season, block Number one.

00:01:33.543 --> 00:01:38.781
This is the time of year where we do the strength bias and conditioning bias, tracks.

00:01:38.781 --> 00:01:48.462
Um, honestly, the time of year where you get your open scores, you see where you slot, and we get a shitload of remote coaching applications and we get a bunch of people to jump in.

00:01:48.462 --> 00:02:06.837
And I can tell you right now, in both of those scenarios, the absolute best thing that you can do is just do a manageable amount of work, starting Monday, march 24th, for an entire year with us and you will see a significant change.

00:02:06.837 --> 00:02:11.831
If you've got any friends that follow the program, have them pull up those open leaderboards.

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Our athletes, we move the needle and it's not.

00:02:18.170 --> 00:02:31.972
You know, there was a comment in Discord the other day that made me think to say this, asking if we were magicians, and it's really about whether the athlete can show up and execute for that longer period of time.

00:02:31.972 --> 00:02:33.621
That's what makes what we do special.

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Everything that we do is based on this concept of delayed gratification and not like how can we sell you something flashy?

00:02:42.962 --> 00:02:49.175
Because, at the end of the day, like our reputation is going to be based on how people execute out there.

00:02:49.175 --> 00:02:55.412
So really fantastic time of year to dig into whether you do need to get stronger, you do need to get fitter.

00:02:55.412 --> 00:02:57.346
Obviously, both of those things will happen.

00:02:57.346 --> 00:03:03.526
So Monday, march 24th, for both brand new programs, misfit Affiliate and Misfit Athletics.

00:03:03.526 --> 00:03:11.492
Woo, alright, now you guys say something?

00:03:11.513 --> 00:03:13.037
Are we going to talk about the open workout?

00:03:13.639 --> 00:03:15.045
Yeah, we're going to talk about the open workout.

00:03:15.045 --> 00:03:17.546
I do want someone to read my shirt.

00:03:17.546 --> 00:03:18.671
Is it about my driving iron?

00:03:18.671 --> 00:03:21.127
Yeah, I want someone to read my shirt.

00:03:22.341 --> 00:03:25.425
Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken.

00:03:25.425 --> 00:03:25.800
I was.

00:03:25.800 --> 00:03:28.289
This is another custom one-off.

00:03:28.419 --> 00:03:29.947
This is a custom job.

00:03:29.947 --> 00:03:38.669
I get emails like six times a year from Sticker Mule that I can make one of these shirts for they're normally 19 and maybe I can make it for like $10.

00:03:38.669 --> 00:03:48.847
And in today's social media age, it's kind of interesting how people just like cook up a narrative for themselves.

00:03:48.847 --> 00:03:49.967
I am this.

00:03:49.967 --> 00:03:52.489
I am that I wear these shoes.

00:03:52.489 --> 00:03:58.935
Therefore, you know what, If you want to be a chicken, I need some fucking cock-a-doodle-doo.

00:03:58.935 --> 00:04:00.135
I need you laying some eggs.

00:04:00.135 --> 00:04:02.477
I need you walking across the street when you're not supposed to.

00:04:03.480 --> 00:04:04.763
I got bad news for you, man.

00:04:04.763 --> 00:04:08.330
Even you can do all that and you are still not a chicken.

00:04:08.991 --> 00:04:15.829
That is true, that is true, but I at least need to see some chicken-like behavior instead of just shoving feathers up your ass.

00:04:15.829 --> 00:04:33.745
So I thought it would be necessary for people to just be reminded that your actions speak louder than your words, for people to just be reminded that your actions speak louder than your words, and I think that's honestly a pretty timely thing when we're about to jump into these leaderboards.

00:04:34.326 --> 00:04:47.514
So the way that we're going to do this, we are going to read the top 10 men, women and CrossFit, mf, slash, misfit, gym, portland athletes for 25.3.

00:04:47.514 --> 00:04:49.516
We're going to do a drawing for all those.

00:04:49.516 --> 00:05:00.310
Then we will do the same thing for the entire open and those are the people that will win three t-shirts and a hoodie with our brand new logo that no one else can buy.

00:05:00.310 --> 00:05:02.514
A little bit of fun, you'll be able to buy them eventually.

00:05:02.514 --> 00:05:04.346
I haven't seen this hoodie.

00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:11.240
No, you haven't.

00:05:11.240 --> 00:05:11.841
It might be heathered too.

00:05:11.841 --> 00:05:12.762
You might be about to freak out.

00:05:12.762 --> 00:05:13.101
Do that to me.

00:05:13.101 --> 00:05:14.963
Tease me like that with a heather job.

00:05:14.983 --> 00:05:17.807
All right, we're gonna do 25.3.

00:05:17.807 --> 00:05:24.553
Misfit women first 1307 for Elena Pomerisi.

00:05:24.553 --> 00:05:26.817
That is two victories for Elena.

00:05:26.817 --> 00:05:41.291
Congratulations, Elena Pomerisi, Paige Semenza, Leah Murphy, Blair Chaney, Peyton Forsyth, Kelly Clark, Kenzie Christie, Lindsay Hoffman, Ashley Drabicki and Adrian Wenges.

00:05:41.291 --> 00:05:45.247
Let's get that baby rolling.

00:05:46.721 --> 00:05:54.023
You doing this sub Seb you're muted and you're muted, jesus.

00:05:54.023 --> 00:05:54.444
What is this?

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2020.

00:05:57.848 --> 00:05:58.629
Okay, can you hear me now?

00:05:58.629 --> 00:06:01.153
Yeah, yeah, I don't.

00:06:01.153 --> 00:06:02.055
I don't speak much.

00:06:02.055 --> 00:06:02.815
That's why this happened.

00:06:04.420 --> 00:06:05.283
I'll make up for it.

00:06:05.283 --> 00:06:06.088
I did this.

00:06:06.701 --> 00:06:15.226
That's the wrong one holy fucking yes dude look at that thing, there we go ready, I'm ready.

00:06:19.269 --> 00:06:21.290
And if the same person wins again, they're sponsored.

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They're not going to get anything.

00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:23.185
I'm just going to throw that out there.

00:06:23.185 --> 00:06:27.788
Seven wins again, or they're sponsored, they're not going to get anything.

00:06:27.788 --> 00:06:28.949
I'm just going to throw that out there.

00:06:28.949 --> 00:06:29.391
Seven Kenzie Christie.

00:06:29.391 --> 00:06:31.694
My email is coach at misfitathleticscom.

00:06:31.694 --> 00:06:34.680
Shoot me an email, we will get you set up.

00:06:34.680 --> 00:06:39.466
Not Kenzie Riley, we will get you set up with some gear.

00:06:39.466 --> 00:06:41.807
All right.

00:06:41.807 --> 00:06:48.254
25.3 gentlemen kyle moline with the 1230.

00:06:48.254 --> 00:06:51.942
Very impressive there, way to go, kyle moline.

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Austin spencer, brad miller, adam salmani, brandon true, kyle cross.

00:06:55.791 --> 00:07:01.026
Chris colvin, mike kern oh, mikey kern coming in from the.

00:07:01.026 --> 00:07:05.512
Uh, I should know this because he's my athlete.

00:07:05.512 --> 00:07:14.932
Third, you're reading it 13 now, I only put the top one on there when I copied and pasted over um 13 and change, I believe.

00:07:14.932 --> 00:07:24.372
All right, taylor aiken and steven milanisi, seb.

00:07:24.994 --> 00:07:25.595
What do we got?

00:07:25.595 --> 00:07:29.346
Look at this fucking thing.

00:07:29.346 --> 00:07:30.745
You guys better be on YouTube right now.

00:07:30.745 --> 00:07:32.024
This is a beautiful wheel.

00:07:32.024 --> 00:07:36.281
We got going oh come on.

00:07:36.281 --> 00:07:37.502
No, spin it again.

00:07:37.502 --> 00:07:38.723
Spin it again.

00:07:38.723 --> 00:07:40.526
What was it Kern?

00:07:40.526 --> 00:07:41.668
No.

00:07:46.735 --> 00:07:47.755
Was that going to be A four?

00:07:47.755 --> 00:07:49.081
What?

00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:50.446
a fucking troll wheel.

00:07:50.446 --> 00:07:55.225
It's a four Adam Selmani, adam, well done.

00:07:55.225 --> 00:07:57.286
Coach at MisfitAthleticscom.

00:07:57.286 --> 00:07:59.706
Shoot me an email, we will get you set up.

00:07:59.706 --> 00:08:02.824
All right, here we go, 25.3.

00:08:02.824 --> 00:08:16.730
Misfit Jim Portland, paul Stevens, hunter Wood, kyle Pinkham, michael Ione, nick Whitaker, ryan Bernage, lizzie Bell, bruno Nicole Dubois, rachel Rogers and Jack Strum.

00:08:16.730 --> 00:08:26.898
I'm not sure if Jack's score is with the 92 pounds or with the 95 pounds, so there could be an asterisk next to that name.

00:08:26.939 --> 00:08:28.466
Yeah, he did, he did.

00:08:28.466 --> 00:08:29.309
Yeah, I don't know.

00:08:29.309 --> 00:08:33.028
He did tell Kyle in a direct message that he was going to redo it.

00:08:33.087 --> 00:08:37.506
So I like it, I'm just, I'm mostly joking.

00:08:37.860 --> 00:08:47.554
For context, kyle used Kyle and Jack used either the same setup or the same weight plate assignment and kilo.

00:08:47.554 --> 00:08:49.221
It turns out kilos aren't pounds.

00:08:49.221 --> 00:08:54.676
So, uh, an 88 or a 90 pound barbell is man I'd I'd.

00:08:54.676 --> 00:08:57.663
I'd rather snatch that than a 95 pound bar, that's for damn sure.

00:08:57.783 --> 00:09:05.408
So well, someone, I think, thought, thought that three pounds off means you only add three pounds, but that's per plate.

00:09:07.662 --> 00:09:11.629
Yeah well, I mean the entire arithmetic that went into.

00:09:11.629 --> 00:09:17.787
That was suspect at best, but to Kyle's credit, Kyle did that workout twice in like.

00:09:18.629 --> 00:09:19.551
I don't know how many hours.

00:09:19.551 --> 00:09:22.706
I think like literally three hours.

00:09:24.327 --> 00:09:27.466
And I was like fuck, I barely, I didn't know what his time was.

00:09:27.466 --> 00:09:34.265
I I barely eked him out, but I would absolutely not have uh in in fucking round two.

00:09:34.265 --> 00:09:35.803
That's fucking stupid.

00:09:36.326 --> 00:09:38.600
Yes, he had a he had a killer open.

00:09:38.600 --> 00:09:40.283
Yes, he did All right.

00:09:40.283 --> 00:09:41.264
What do we got Seb?

00:09:41.264 --> 00:09:53.197
Nope, come on, is it me?

00:09:53.197 --> 00:09:55.363
Don't worry about it.

00:09:55.745 --> 00:09:57.370
I want the new tee, I want the new one?

00:09:57.370 --> 00:09:58.442
I haven't even seen it yet.

00:10:00.188 --> 00:10:02.462
Give me that Heather it better not be two, because that's fucking Hunter.

00:10:02.462 --> 00:10:03.445
Yes, come on, give me the hoodie.

00:10:03.465 --> 00:10:04.647
There's a new tee and hoodie on its way.

00:10:04.647 --> 00:10:04.947
That's fucking.

00:10:05.006 --> 00:10:05.168
Hunter.

00:10:05.168 --> 00:10:06.169
Yes, come on, give me the hoodie.

00:10:06.169 --> 00:10:23.273
There's a new tee and hoodie on its way right now for you, don't you worry, rachel Rogers, congratulations Well done, well done, well done.

00:10:23.273 --> 00:10:35.530
So we need to get Nick Whitaker, jen Bossy and rachel rogers, some gear hunter, you're also reminded all right now.

00:10:35.551 --> 00:10:46.649
Um, this is riveting, uh, podcasting that's going on right here, especially if you're listening um, but we're going to do this all over again, so we are going to do I'll be more rapid fire this time.

00:10:46.649 --> 00:10:47.772
So this is for the open.

00:10:47.772 --> 00:10:49.153
This is across the whole thing.

00:10:49.153 --> 00:11:03.225
Now, hunter, how do you feel about the leaderboards at some point where you were against each other and now they're just worldwide rankings compared to one another?

00:11:03.225 --> 00:11:18.732
So, like you don't get a point for first place, like that kind of thing, which is weird, because, like the custom leaderboard for crossfit mf is like you versus kyle, versus mike versus rachel, but the hashtag ones are not.

00:11:18.732 --> 00:11:23.692
It just sorts their worldwide ranking and there's no way for me to fucking change that.

00:11:23.692 --> 00:11:29.066
So it is what it is yeah, sorry, what was the question, though I don't think I had one.

00:11:29.326 --> 00:11:44.365
All right, um, here we go lindsey hoffman, elena pomerisi, blair, cheney leah murphy, peyton forsyth, adrian whinges, ashley jabicki, mary wallach, meredith reyes and emma hagstrom.

00:11:44.365 --> 00:11:51.548
You will notice that I removed all of the sponsored athletes from this list to give more people an opportunity to win.

00:11:51.548 --> 00:11:55.510
Those are the top 10 athletes from the Open.

00:11:55.510 --> 00:11:57.806
All right, seb, what do we got?

00:11:57.806 --> 00:12:16.246
I will allow I will allow a double winner, because this is a different gear pack and because this person came in first place.

00:12:16.246 --> 00:12:19.413
Um, lindsey hoffman, congratulations once again.

00:12:19.413 --> 00:12:22.945
Um, I already have your information from the last time.

00:12:22.945 --> 00:12:31.056
You will be receiving a gear pack, although I'm going to send you some information about the sizing and what the garments actually are.

00:12:31.056 --> 00:12:35.730
But congratulations on first place and on winning twice.

00:12:35.730 --> 00:12:47.114
Gentlemen Brandon True, brad Miller, adam Salmani, kyle Moline, taylor Sanders, stephen Milanese, anthony Greco, salvador Reyes, kyle Cross and Taylor Aitken.

00:12:48.635 --> 00:12:49.115
Let her rip.

00:12:56.725 --> 00:12:59.666
Oh my god, again, it's just the fucking winner again.

00:13:00.389 --> 00:13:00.629
Good.

00:13:02.542 --> 00:13:03.384
All right, we'll take it.

00:13:03.384 --> 00:13:04.589
Seb, did you rig this?

00:13:04.589 --> 00:13:06.566
You got some fucking coding background.

00:13:06.566 --> 00:13:07.889
I don't know about what's going on here.

00:13:07.889 --> 00:13:11.184
I got some DMs, I mean yeah, can you fucking see that?

00:13:11.205 --> 00:13:11.826
You see that wheel.

00:13:12.541 --> 00:13:15.110
I have any idea how to code that bitch into the background.

00:13:15.110 --> 00:13:17.967
Brandon True, well done.

00:13:17.967 --> 00:13:20.205
You also won twice.

00:13:20.205 --> 00:13:22.392
Congratulations.

00:13:22.740 --> 00:13:23.738
You get the new gear.

00:13:23.738 --> 00:13:24.341
It pays to be a winner.

00:13:24.341 --> 00:13:24.663
Congratulations.

00:13:24.663 --> 00:13:25.163
You get the new gear.

00:13:25.163 --> 00:13:27.562
And you know what, though collected, correct person can we?

00:13:27.965 --> 00:13:32.100
we got to talk about this for a second brandon the, the cool huge back logo.

00:13:32.100 --> 00:13:42.566
You're gonna cut that thing up to make another one of your bra t-shirts and it's gonna bother me, um, so we're gonna send you three t-shirts.

00:13:42.566 --> 00:13:49.768
If you could keep one of them intact, um, that would be just gonna say encourage the behavior you want.

00:13:49.768 --> 00:13:55.692
So listen you're gonna rip all just gonna say miss, I'm actually just gonna give you more things to rip in half.

00:13:56.316 --> 00:14:00.706
Well, I was gonna send them three anyways, I'm just hoping for maybe just cut one.

00:14:01.207 --> 00:14:02.269
I mean cut none.

00:14:02.269 --> 00:14:11.142
That would be ideal, but I know that's probably not going to happen, because I know last year we had that big back logo with the snake and the 24 and he just hacked that thing right off.

00:14:11.142 --> 00:14:16.594
Um, all right, well done open.

00:14:16.594 --> 00:14:19.200
This one's a little, this one's a little.

00:14:19.200 --> 00:14:19.840
Disappointing.

00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:24.663
This, um, this first place winner here for CrossFit MF.

00:14:24.663 --> 00:14:30.067
I thought maybe somebody had you, hunter, but they didn't.

00:14:30.067 --> 00:14:32.289
Crossfit MF Leaderboard.

00:14:32.289 --> 00:14:41.918
Hunter Wood, kyle Pinkham, michael Leone, rachel Rogers, lizzie Bell, bruno, paul Stevens, nick Whitaker, luke Ravenel, nicole Dubois and Jennifer Bossy Wait Luke.

00:14:45.321 --> 00:14:47.245
He was higher up too after the first two.

00:14:49.130 --> 00:14:57.005
Yeah, I thought, barbell, we gotta get him, gotta get him eating some sandwiches in between sets.

00:14:57.005 --> 00:15:00.173
Yep, very fit dude though.

00:15:00.192 --> 00:15:03.143
Alright, seb, if it says one again.

00:15:03.143 --> 00:15:05.788
We know you rigged it, you and Hunter together.

00:15:06.692 --> 00:15:09.158
Come on, dude, what the fuck is this?

00:15:10.120 --> 00:15:11.826
Let's just do one more, do one more.

00:15:13.461 --> 00:15:13.982
I need it.

00:15:13.982 --> 00:15:24.981
No, come on Okay here's a question.

00:15:27.966 --> 00:15:29.129
Well, I'm gonna give it away.

00:15:29.129 --> 00:15:30.871
Rachel rogers, you won twice.

00:15:30.871 --> 00:15:33.876
Fuck, rachel rogers.

00:15:33.876 --> 00:15:42.297
You win the brand new misfit gear that no one has and a little goodie from the gift shop congratulations.

00:15:42.297 --> 00:15:48.408
Um, in all seriousness, tried to make that somewhat entertaining because we've been spinning wheels for five minutes now.

00:15:48.408 --> 00:15:49.791
Um, you guys are.

00:15:49.791 --> 00:15:50.513
Guys are awesome.

00:15:50.513 --> 00:15:52.885
Really cool to to keep track of people.

00:15:52.885 --> 00:16:00.971
This is one of my favorite times of year because there actually is a clear, concise place to go to check in on the misfits and how they're doing.

00:16:00.971 --> 00:16:03.538
Um, and it's just.

00:16:03.538 --> 00:16:09.418
You know, I take a lot of pride in in checking those scores and seeing how you've improved year after year.

00:16:09.418 --> 00:16:19.475
Um, and I'm excited for, you know, and a lot of these people qualified for their respective online semifinals, so I'm excited to see how you guys do there.

00:16:19.475 --> 00:16:27.855
I think that'll be a good measuring stick for people to figure out where they're truly at if they have aspirations of going further.

00:16:27.855 --> 00:16:29.250
You know, sort of with their journey.

00:16:29.250 --> 00:16:35.655
All right, hunter, 25.3.

00:16:35.655 --> 00:16:39.234
What did you think of 25.3?

00:16:39.885 --> 00:16:52.456
I think it might have been the best programmed open workout in the last five years, maybe, maybe all time.

00:16:52.456 --> 00:17:00.144
I haven't done like a full sweep of the uh, all the open workouts, but just from a I think it hit all the boxes.

00:17:00.144 --> 00:17:04.924
You get workouts that you know hit two out of the three boxes.

00:17:04.924 --> 00:17:14.250
You know it's it's kind of it's heavy and high skill, but that that kind of removes a segment of the community from being able to really get after it.

00:17:14.250 --> 00:17:24.748
You get something that's just like pure, pure engine that doesn't have either a skill or a heavy component and that you know that obviously lets everybody play.

00:17:24.748 --> 00:17:32.332
But you you see a kind of weird shuffling of the leaderboard with with people who will, you know, at the top, who won't be after another workout.

00:17:32.332 --> 00:17:34.134
That that swings back in the other direction.

00:17:34.134 --> 00:17:35.436
But I just think it was.

00:17:35.436 --> 00:17:47.569
It was the a really nice blend of loading kind of the metabolic demand that puts the fittest in that really shitty 10 to 12 minute kind of time domain.

00:17:47.569 --> 00:17:56.673
A 20 minute cap allows even some athletes who, like we had a few athletes at our gym who were like yeah, I finished it and it was like 1958.

00:17:56.673 --> 00:18:04.465
And it was just like awesome, like you give, you put that carrot out there for that level athlete to reach for and they try to finish it.

00:18:04.465 --> 00:18:08.054
I think there was enough skill within the wall walk.

00:18:08.054 --> 00:18:33.965
You know that obviously for a high level athlete that's not exactly a skill, although I have seen some very unique ways to do wall walks out of even the fittest people on the planet and then just like having the barbell, the barbell movements that still require a a a level of skill and a level of strength, but not like the highest level of skill or the highest level of strength.

00:18:33.965 --> 00:18:51.751
So I think it just blended together the right amount of skill, work capacity, loading all the things you kind of want to see in like a final event of the Open and obviously anytime you talk about an individual workout you're ignoring how it fits into the rest of the.

00:18:52.073 --> 00:18:58.157
You know the other three tests or the other five tests, however many it happened to be, but I thought this one was cool.

00:18:58.157 --> 00:19:15.634
I thought the format was really unique and cool and how we you know you kind of bounce back and forth between a pretty manageable set of wall walks for most, but even athletes who struggle with that movement, it's not so overwhelming that it just completely crushes their workout.

00:19:15.634 --> 00:19:32.369
So you know, and I even said it when we talked about the workout, like 25 deadlifts, like 10, 10, 5 in my head and I, you know that's just the initial reaction, but you know, in practice, even you know, the fittest are doing small sets like that.

00:19:32.369 --> 00:19:49.142
The fittest are doing quick singles on the cleans and small sets on the barbell and it just like goes to show that, like the, you know, it's not about loading the barbell as heavy as possible to make it a good test or just blasting athletes with something that has like a wow factor.

00:19:49.142 --> 00:19:56.538
It's like very manageable sets, very manageable loading, even for your you know, your average affiliate athlete.

00:19:56.779 --> 00:20:07.829
I just thought it was a really well written test on, context is everything, and even we need to be reminded of that because of the endless combinations that are possible.

00:20:08.351 --> 00:20:37.270
So in a 12 to 16 minute workout for for the masses, we know what 21 at 21, deadlifts at two, 25 feels like, but we know it in the context of a two, three, four, five minute workout where we are using, you know, energy systems that can be tapped out, where we're using, you're using, musculature that's sort of different than what we'd be using in this context.

00:20:37.951 --> 00:20:47.486
So if you were to make yourself feel that way in this workout after that row, it would very clearly be a mistake to do that to yourself, right?

00:20:47.486 --> 00:20:56.519
You're going to buy yourself a few extra seconds and then you're going to go lose them pretty quickly, maybe even just in the transition plus wall walks that are there.

00:20:56.519 --> 00:20:58.608
So I really enjoy that.

00:20:58.608 --> 00:21:35.481
Um, we already talked about it last week, so I won't like, like, continue to to talk about it too much, but seeing I don't know if they chose those guys on purpose for this workout, but seeing them do it and seeing the slight nuance in their strategy in the workout and then once again, like making were like top 10 in the world in that workout and it was literally just he looked more controlled, he knew when it was time for singles.

00:21:35.582 --> 00:21:46.152
He knew right off the bat that again pushing himself to 25 deadlifts like he could have done that, but it probably would have added 30 to 45 seconds to his workout, um.

00:21:46.152 --> 00:21:59.577
So I liked that, just because that gives again people more context of the way that you can attack a workout, because it's so rare that athletes of that level are doing the same workouts as everybody else.

00:21:59.577 --> 00:22:03.691
So I really did enjoy that part of it.

00:22:03.691 --> 00:22:15.714
And then I think part of this and we talk about it year after year is just a nod to if you're going to do a local throwdown, if you're going to be in charge of programming something big.

00:22:16.056 --> 00:22:28.211
Testing workouts is so incredibly important because these slight changes are what create the style of workout where Hunter says something like this was like, so well programmed, right.

00:22:28.211 --> 00:22:35.095
Like we don't know how many wall walks that originally had or what the weights were, what the reps were, um, and like.

00:22:35.095 --> 00:22:51.689
There's usually a board somewhere around me where we're programming for a competition and even though we've been doing this for 15 years and we write workout after workout after workout after workout all year long again, there's so many combinations.

00:22:51.689 --> 00:23:00.365
You're really trying to nail who are the people that are actually going to do this workout.

00:23:00.365 --> 00:23:05.211
If the athlete IQ is lower, then the workout can't be as hard because people just make it hard for themselves.

00:23:05.211 --> 00:23:10.026
So there's so many factors that go into this and I think it's just a nod to hey.

00:23:10.067 --> 00:23:14.307
It's very clear that they do a good job of testing these workouts.

00:23:14.367 --> 00:23:24.256
It's so rare like we did the preview podcast and we talked shit about two workouts over the course of 14 years that they didn't do the best job of programming right.

00:23:24.537 --> 00:23:32.625
So, like it's funny and that could have just been another, like an athlete iq thing or the level of athlete that tested, it was just slotted into the right spot.

00:23:32.625 --> 00:23:41.079
So I think this workout was probably tested and tweaked like they should be to elicit the type of response.

00:23:41.079 --> 00:23:53.578
And then, holy shit, do I love a four to five minute spread on a workout between really fit people, like really, really, really fit people, like, really, really, really fit people.

00:23:53.578 --> 00:24:05.388
I like, I like, like seeing that someone that you would be lined up next to at semi-finals like beat them by 45 seconds in a 10 minute, 12 minute workout.

00:24:05.388 --> 00:24:23.134
I love that, because so often the open is this race of like eking out an extra rep or two, and I like a little little bit of a like a workout, that's a separator, that's like cause, you know, beating somebody by a minute, that's a beat down, and and like actual competition terms you.

00:24:23.194 --> 00:24:25.936
Yeah, as that that athlete, you have to go think to yourself like did I?

00:24:25.936 --> 00:24:41.232
Like I'm not, I'm not a minute less fit than that person, but I might be a minute less smart than that person um, yeah, and this kind of workout, that that really enhances it.

00:24:41.333 --> 00:24:47.029
And I think like the nice thing too is like again, thinking more on the like affiliate side.

00:24:47.029 --> 00:24:50.513
It's like it's oh, there's, it's there.

00:24:50.513 --> 00:25:02.086
I think most athletes are smart enough to know that, hey, this is not a short workout, don't sprint the rowing and as long as you don't do that, the rest of the workout is going to take care of itself.

00:25:02.086 --> 00:25:07.817
From a pacing perspective, it kind of paces the athlete for you.

00:25:07.817 --> 00:25:26.576
You can make a mistake early on, but a 225 deadlift for 25 reps for the affiliate athlete like there aren't that many who are going to try to like I'm just going to try to hang on to this thing, and I think that that's good too because it like for the fittest, there does have to be a lot of like.

00:25:26.938 --> 00:25:33.777
There should be some kind of computational power between the years that goes on to to make sure you get the right workout or the right score.

00:25:33.777 --> 00:25:37.230
But for the for the, you know the rest of us.

00:25:37.230 --> 00:25:41.847
Basically it's like the workout kind of does that for you, and I think that's really.

00:25:41.847 --> 00:25:53.144
I think that's important for athletes who are not trying to be competitive in the sport, where it's like I don't, it's.

00:25:53.144 --> 00:26:05.244
It's nice to have that information, to know, like, hey, you can kind of math your way through this workout, but it requires not only like a level of you know, intuition about yourself, but also like a level of fitness, like you have to have a certain level of fitness to be able to pace workouts.

00:26:05.244 --> 00:26:18.538
Um, because without it, like you, you, just like your, your conditioning is going to be what slows you down versus like your approach to the workout, and that's the case for the most of the athletes that we coach at the high level.

00:26:18.538 --> 00:26:21.752
It becomes a little bit more of a of a math problem.

00:26:22.654 --> 00:26:23.237
Yeah, for sure.

00:26:23.237 --> 00:26:28.733
I had a tangent and I lost it.

00:26:28.733 --> 00:26:35.746
I had a thought floating around tangent and I lost it.

00:26:35.746 --> 00:26:44.472
I had a thought it was floating around, um, yeah, so I think I think the only thing that I, before we talk about the, the open in general and the programming as a whole that I want to talk about is the.

00:26:44.472 --> 00:26:48.832
For almost everyone, the wall walks were actually the separator in this workout.

00:26:48.832 --> 00:27:06.147
After watching it and seeing what it took for someone, because the intensity in between the wall walks looked fairly similar for a lot of people, like a lot of people a lot of similar times on barbells exactly, and the rowing at the highest level mattered.

00:27:06.810 --> 00:27:08.719
It was at the highest level, was the rowing right?

00:27:08.719 --> 00:27:13.154
It was just you know, you're at 1200, I'm at 1300, I that sort of thing.

00:27:13.154 --> 00:27:35.000
But in the middle and honestly, on the fringe of the high level, the wall walks were so incredibly important and I don't think that people always understand how they could improve something like that, because what you need is shoulder mobility, technique and upper body endurance.

00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:45.164
Like, for instance, if you listen to the podcast regularly, you know that I do a lot of strict press, bench press, things of that nature.

00:27:45.164 --> 00:27:51.439
I want to strict press 225 pounds in the year 2025.

00:27:51.439 --> 00:27:57.087
I have pretty good wall walk technique.

00:27:57.087 --> 00:27:58.109
I have excellent shoulder mobility.

00:27:58.109 --> 00:27:58.711
I didn't touch them.

00:27:58.711 --> 00:28:02.207
I didn't touch wall walks for I don't even know how long, a very long time.

00:28:02.708 --> 00:28:11.192
We did an affiliate workout with wall walks in it and old shoulder press drew loved some wall walks.

00:28:11.192 --> 00:28:12.675
I was fucking flying.

00:28:12.675 --> 00:28:13.458
They did not hurt.

00:28:13.458 --> 00:28:14.287
There was not.

00:28:14.287 --> 00:28:14.869
You know what I mean.

00:28:14.869 --> 00:28:19.204
So I had access to my strength through mobility.

00:28:19.204 --> 00:28:23.305
I had the strength and the endurance because I struggle with muscle endurance.

00:28:23.305 --> 00:28:44.770
So I work a lot of volume in my programs and I also like that's one cool thing about being a coach, like there's some osmosis that goes down.

00:28:45.192 --> 00:28:51.153
You get so obsessed with human movement that, like you really, unless you like, sort of fall apart in the workout.

00:28:51.153 --> 00:28:53.815
You usually move pretty do versus addressing.

00:28:53.815 --> 00:28:55.296
How do I do them?

00:28:55.296 --> 00:29:00.478
Do I have access to the range of motion that I need so that they are easy?

00:29:00.478 --> 00:29:13.864
And do I work on the fact, if I don't have upper body endurance, if I don't have that pressing endurance, if I don't have that stability like that's what's going to help you of that stability like that's what's going to help you, that's what's going to change there.

00:29:18.765 --> 00:29:22.259
We have to attack these problems from a bunch of different angles and when you find out which part of it is the biggest problem, you put more eggs into that basket.

00:29:22.259 --> 00:29:23.566
That's how we figure out these things.

00:29:23.566 --> 00:29:26.156
That's how we solve in a remote coaching setting.

00:29:26.156 --> 00:29:36.185
That's how we solve when an affiliate member walks up to us and says I'm sick of this shit and it's like okay, come see me in open gym, show you how to get your shoulders opened up, get you in a better position.

00:29:36.185 --> 00:29:37.871
This is what we're looking for in the movement.

00:29:37.892 --> 00:29:56.968
Doesn't mean you can do it yet, but like you need to know all of those things versus okay, it's EMOM time and I'm going to move like shit and it's like hey, guess what?

00:29:56.968 --> 00:29:58.501
You start to deadlift, you start to deadlift, you start to row, you start to clean, you start to snatch.

00:29:58.501 --> 00:29:58.911
It's not going to feel good again, right?

00:29:58.911 --> 00:30:00.983
So like that was something that popped into my head while watching this.

00:30:00.983 --> 00:30:09.902
It's like very clear that some people weren't able to express their fitness in that place yeah, uh, it's man, I'll just, I'm just gonna sound like a broken record.

00:30:09.922 --> 00:30:11.079
This is just like it to me.

00:30:11.079 --> 00:30:11.451
It's just such.

00:30:11.451 --> 00:30:11.875
It's like a broken record.

00:30:11.875 --> 00:30:12.153
This is just like it to me.

00:30:12.153 --> 00:30:12.490
It's just such.

00:30:12.490 --> 00:30:15.720
It's such fundamental, like first principles thinking.

00:30:15.720 --> 00:30:26.491
It's like you're a mechanic, you want to make the fuck, this fucking sick car and you're like OK, we're going to like, we're going to work on the engine, we're going to get a sick paint job, we're going to get the right tires, we're going to get the right window tint.

00:30:26.491 --> 00:30:28.453
It's like this thing is sick.

00:30:28.453 --> 00:30:30.877
It's like you didn't put any gas in the car.

00:30:30.877 --> 00:30:31.980
It's like that.

00:30:31.980 --> 00:30:40.567
And it's like you like it doesn't fucking matter how much work you've done to improve your stamina, your, you know your positioning or whatever.

00:30:40.567 --> 00:30:43.913
Um, if you don't the the gas.

00:30:44.253 --> 00:30:57.671
In my metaphor here is your range of motion, your access to the positions that you need to get in, like the number of people I heard just like, oh my, my back is wrecked after twenty five, point three.

00:30:57.671 --> 00:31:00.772
It's like like I know why your back is wrecked.

00:31:00.772 --> 00:31:14.141
It's because every single time we have a deadlift day or a pull day from the floor coach tells you to get on your positioning and your setup, whether that's a mobility limitation, a positional awareness thing or whatever.

00:31:14.141 --> 00:31:18.046
And it's like here's the answers to the test.

00:31:18.046 --> 00:31:19.829
Like are you going to study?

00:31:19.829 --> 00:31:20.712
No, I'm not.

00:31:20.712 --> 00:31:22.457
Why did I do poorly on the test?

00:31:22.457 --> 00:31:31.487
Like, and it's just one of the most frustrating things as a coach because it's like I see the problem and this is a bit of my own, the way that I think about things.

00:31:31.487 --> 00:31:34.028
It's like I see the problem and this is a bit of my own, the way that I I think about things.

00:31:34.028 --> 00:31:34.690
It's like I see the problem.

00:31:34.690 --> 00:31:35.089
Here's the solution.

00:31:35.089 --> 00:31:37.050
Like if you do it, this will get better.

00:31:37.050 --> 00:31:38.992
You didn't do it, it didn't get better.

00:31:38.992 --> 00:31:40.973
You're still complaining that your back hurts.

00:31:40.973 --> 00:31:43.016
You're, the shoulder stamina is not there.

00:31:43.056 --> 00:31:56.234
It's like, why would it be if you didn't address, like the first principle, the underlying problem, which is that you do not have access to the ranges of motion that you need to get into positions to do things safely?

00:31:56.234 --> 00:32:01.938
And it's like go ahead, work around it.

00:32:01.938 --> 00:32:06.050
And if you're at a competition and you're trying to work around, that got it.

00:32:06.050 --> 00:32:07.958
You got to do what you got to do to collect points.

00:32:07.958 --> 00:32:24.949
But if you're an affiliate athlete or you're an affiliate coach, listening, and it's like you got athletes who are complaining about that, or you're an athlete who frequently complains about the same fucking thing all the time, like have you actually done what you need to do to improve that?

00:32:24.949 --> 00:32:39.132
Whether it's learning how to hinge properly, learning how to squat and control your midline, improving your shoulder range of motion and then slowly progressing to develop strength through it, it's like the best case scenario.

00:32:39.132 --> 00:32:40.233
You just get a bad score.

00:32:40.233 --> 00:32:50.854
Worst case scenario the chickens will come home to roost with an injury at some point and it's really just a nod to like why do we need coaches?

00:32:51.144 --> 00:32:52.550
Why do we need accountability?

00:32:52.550 --> 00:32:54.759
Why do we need coaches?

00:32:54.759 --> 00:33:01.503
These things that we might already kind of know the answer to, maybe, you know, buried in our subconscious or something like that.

00:33:01.503 --> 00:33:08.895
Like, some of the stuff we're talking about is more nuanced and complicated, but in so many instances, what we're talking about is quite simple.

00:33:08.895 --> 00:33:17.273
Like the overarching thing that we're talking about is general physical preparedness, which is short, medium, long.

00:33:17.273 --> 00:33:22.002
Lift some weights, you know stretch take, you know rest days when you're supposed to shit like that.

00:33:22.002 --> 00:33:25.711
So, um, yeah, just to just a reminder.

00:33:25.711 --> 00:33:42.113
And it's that time of year where, like, either you saw enough hope in what you're doing or, the opposite, you're finally you're sick of your own shit, of like I'm excited now but I won't be Hunter is definitely sick of your shit.

00:33:48.160 --> 00:33:51.163
Or maybe I'm excited now, but I'm never excited in August or October or September Like that.

00:33:51.163 --> 00:33:58.193
Making some sort of change related to that and buying into delayed gratification to bring us all the way back to the beginning is that's it?

00:33:58.193 --> 00:33:59.796
That's really where it's at.

00:33:59.796 --> 00:34:04.567
Um thoughts on overall open programming.

00:34:04.567 --> 00:34:06.009
And it's kind of tough.

00:34:06.009 --> 00:34:08.193
I'll set this up.

00:34:08.193 --> 00:34:18.967
It's a little tough because for the average person, all of these workouts were medium to long, but for the best, they weren't.

00:34:18.967 --> 00:34:20.349
They were.

00:34:20.349 --> 00:34:28.751
They were definitely different, right, they were like five minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, which is is a spread at least.

00:34:28.751 --> 00:34:31.963
So I'm intrigued to hear your thoughts on that.

00:34:32.204 --> 00:34:44.215
Yeah, I've, I do have thoughts on it because and this goes to a bit of how I've shifted my mentality for programming at the affiliate level when it comes to short workouts.

00:34:44.215 --> 00:35:28.778
Short workouts are tough to make accessible for everybody because they rely on a certain degree of output that an athlete has to inherently have, fleet has to inherently have, and, like the ability to do fran fast, relies on like a certain degree of strength, power output and just ability to overall move fast with like or or to be scaled so phenomenally well that we can still get that person into that like three to six minute time domain and feel like death with two like medium skill, low to medium skill movements.

00:35:28.778 --> 00:35:54.782
Right, it's difficult to do that and make it a really good test for that person, which is why something like last year's open workout burpees and dumbbell snatches I thought was really good because it's like this this is something that is accessible to athletes in kind of that short ish time frame, short, shorter than that and you just have to, it just has to be programmed so well and and then but, but then it.

00:35:54.782 --> 00:36:00.994
But then it isolates the, the other end, the fittest athletes who, like I, like we saw Colton Mertens do.

00:36:00.994 --> 00:36:03.204
Colton Mertens did twenty five.

00:36:03.204 --> 00:36:15.568
Point two, the way that I do, fran, and like it's taken me a long time to be able to get to a place where I can do my barbell set directly under the pull up bar, I do twenty one thrusters before that bar hits the ground.

00:36:15.568 --> 00:36:27.925
I hop up, I'm trying to cycle these things and maybe even if I'm feeling good on the set of nine, I'm like pulling the bar down Right, and it's like Colton Mertens did that with 50.

00:36:27.925 --> 00:36:28.146
What is it?

00:36:28.146 --> 00:36:43.083
Fifty four, you know, barbell reps, 54 gymnastics reps, double unders, and like he went as like borderline, as fast as gravity allowed him to go, and like he finished the workout hands on the knees for a handful of seconds and walked over to the camera.

00:36:43.764 --> 00:37:04.719
And it's like for the fittest athletes on the planet to get them to get into that extremely short time domain requires that the opposite end of the spectrum the average to below below average, quote, unquote CrossFitter is by nature going to be in that like five to eight to 10 minute time domain.

00:37:04.719 --> 00:37:10.989
And when we're talking about writing a test for hundreds of thousands of people, like that's just.

00:37:10.989 --> 00:37:13.652
I think that's just kind of the nature of the beast as far as.

00:37:13.652 --> 00:37:21.463
As far as doing that and and you know you could do seven minutes of burpees like that sucks balls, that that does the trick.

00:37:21.463 --> 00:37:23.664
You could do max calorie row in five minutes.

00:37:23.664 --> 00:37:29.646
But like there's also the showmanship element and the and the like, wow, that's a really cool workout.

00:37:29.646 --> 00:37:33.327
It's like we could, we can make something simple that's short and kills everybody.

00:37:33.327 --> 00:37:42.592
But you know we want to do, we want to make sure it's a well-rounded test, we want to make sure the workout provides athletes with the opportunity to showcase their skills and their fitness.

00:37:42.873 --> 00:37:52.536
And the thought is that we can write workouts that put our fittest athletes in that two to five minute time domain.

00:37:52.536 --> 00:38:20.838
That is just pure pain and misery and misery.

00:38:20.838 --> 00:38:22.248
But unless we scale the rest of the athletes exceptionally well, we have to be willing to accept that like a short workout for them has to be long enough for them to just like experience.

00:38:22.248 --> 00:38:27.452
The metabolic demand athletes in a lot of ways that they need a slightly longer workout to get the right stimulus.

00:38:27.250 --> 00:38:34.789
But we see it often enough where it's like we can do a 30 second bike sprint day, but athletes who can't, who don't have the either the body mass or the power output to put a hurting on the bike, for example.

00:38:34.789 --> 00:38:42.862
It's like it's just physically, mechanically impossible for that athlete to go hard enough in a fixed time domain.

00:38:42.862 --> 00:38:48.407
It has to be variable to some degree and a lot of times that just means the less fit athletes workout.

00:38:48.407 --> 00:39:06.432
I think had that, the, the power output element that was required, even if it took somebody 12 minutes to do the workout.

00:39:06.432 --> 00:39:28.856
Like we're seeing athletes doing five, ten sets of thrusters at 135, which is like kind of by nature of the workout, puts people in that like you know atp, you know kind of pathway, like a little pathway where it still requires like that sort of gas tank power output, sort of vibe it.

00:39:28.856 --> 00:39:31.201
Just they just happen to be doing it for 12 minutes.

00:39:31.681 --> 00:39:42.947
Um so, yeah, yeah, I was, I was thinking about it and I think it's okay.

00:39:42.947 --> 00:40:03.972
The is who's doing this, right, like, and that's, you know, writing a competition and doing the.

00:40:03.972 --> 00:40:05.679
You know the team version and the scaled version.

00:40:05.679 --> 00:40:07.807
That's all of our programs that we do.

00:40:07.807 --> 00:40:09.280
It's incredibly important.

00:40:09.280 --> 00:40:43.041

Unraveling the Open: 25.3 - E.345

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