GROUP WARMUP
3 sets –
:30 bike
5 Kettlebell swings
5 sandbag squats
5 burpees
10 walking lunges

POWER/ENDURANCE
For time:
2 rounds of:
20/17 calorie Airbike
10 sandbag squats RX 120/80

directly into or at 5-minute mark:

12-9-6
American kettlebell swings RX+ 70/55; RX 55/35; Masters 35/25
Burpees to a target

*12 minute time cap
*Heats every 5 minutes

STRENGTH TRAINING
3 sets –
5 Hex Bar deadlifts
8 (each leg) single leg dumbbell reverse lunge with raise

MOBILITY
2 sets –
:30 thread the needle each side
:30 couch stretch each side
1:00 half saddle each side

Thoughts on the New Games Qualification Format 

The CrossFit world is abuzz with talk of the new Games qualification format. For years, the Open fed to Regionals, which fed to the Games. Regions

were split up based on the number of affiliates in each area. The top 60 men, 60 women and 60 teams (5 from each region) in the world qualified for The Games.

Because Regionals hasn’t been a successful business venture for CrossFit and because people confuse the sport with fitness, they’ve decided to change the way people qualify. Now, the top male, female and team from each country in the Open will move to the Games. Beyond that, there will be 16

international, sanctioned events (like Wodapalooza, the Granite Games, etc.) that will send winners directly to the Games. It looks like Teens and

Masters Divisions will qualify as before (Open, then Online Qualifier), but the field of athletes will be smaller. Teams will qualify via the sanctioned live events and “super teams” are now possible (team members won’t

have to belong to the same affiliate gym).

There are obvious plusses and minuses to this new format. Each country with a CrossFit affiliate will have representation, however the uber-competitive countries of the world (US, Iceland, Australia, etc.) won’t be able

to send all their talent, many of whom will be better than the vast majority of countries sending athletes. We’ve heard a few ideas on how CrossFit will “cull the herd” but nothing has been announced yet.

After letting news of the new format sink in, I have some thoughts on it.

First, CrossFit is a private company that does what it wants. This isn’t the first time they’ve made changes. Yes, it’s vastly different than what’s been done. However, all this shock will wear off and the new process will become our new normal. I trust that the CrossFit Games will still find the fittest on earth. And, let’s be real, the changes don’t affect most

of us.

Secondly, the road may be a little bit harder for our athletes, like McKenzie and Jeff, who have the potential to qualify. But, we believe that they can absolutely make it to the Games. Their season will look different that it has in the past and participating in sanctioned events will become a priority.

Lastly, it is my hope that this change will make more people realize that

CrossFit the sport is vastly different than CrossFit the training protocol. 99.9% of us should be training for wellness. We should wake up feeling good, not trashed. We shouldn’t let a “bad” workout ruin our day. We shouldn’t let our athletic abilities (or inabilities) define us. Our training demands shouldn’t mirror those of elite athletes. We should feel good about what we are doing for our health. And we should enjoy the gym community. THAT’S why CrossFit was developed in the first place.

We still look forward to the Open, the camaraderie, the challenge, the chance for each of us to prove our fitness!