Volume, Volume, Volume — 2021 CrossFit Games Team Quarterfinals Workouts Announced
The workouts for the CrossFit Games Team Quarterfinals were announced, and they are designed with very, very, very high volume. The first workout consists of 520 reps per athlete and focuses primarily on the shoulders and heart rate. The second workout is 264 reps per athlete that will blast the core and legs. The third workout consists of hundreds of wall balls and calories on the rower. The fourth workout — a four-rep max front squat — finally gives athletes heart rates a chance to catch up before performing workout five, a snatch plus burpee box-jump relay.
Here is each workout for the Team Quarterfinals:
Team Quarterfinals Workouts
Here is what each member of each Team is charged with performing:
Workout One
For total time:
Two rounds each of:
- 15 strict handstand push-ups
- 15 dumbbell hang power cleans
- 100 double-unders
Male athlete one completes one round, and then male athlete two completes one round. Repeat.
Then immediately into two rounds each of:
- 15 kipping handstand push-ups
- 15 dumbbell shoulder-to-overheads
- 100 double-unders
Male athlete one completes one round, and then male athlete two completes one round. Repeat.
After the men have finished, the women complete the same sequence.
Time cap: 30 minutes | Men — 50-pound dumbbells | Women — 35-pound dumbbells
Workout Two
For time:
Male/Female pair one:
- 70 synchro GHD sit-ups
- 14 rope climbs — one 15-foot rope, switch as needed
- 70 synchro alternating single-leg squats
- 50 synchro GHD sit-ups
- 10 rope climbs — one 15-foot rope, switch as needed
- 50 synchro alternating single-leg squats
When Male/Female pair one finishes, Male/Female pair two completes the sequence.
Time cap: 25 minutes
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[Related: 5 Big Myths People Believe About CrossFit Games Athletes]
Workout Three
Male/Male and Female/Female pairs each complete:
Athlete one:
- 100 wall-ball shots
- 120-calorie row
Then, athlete two:
- 120 wall-ball shots
- 100-calorie row
Both pairs start at the same time and add their times together for their final score.
No time cap. | Men — 20-pound ball, 10-foot target | Women — 14-pound ball, nine-foot target
Workout Four
For total load:
- Four-rep-max front squat
Each teammate’s heaviest successful attempt is counted toward the Team total.
Time frame: 20 minutes
Workout Five
For time — as a relay, each athlete completes 9-6-3 reps of:
- Snatches
- Burpee box jump-overs
Order: Female, Female, Male, Male
Time cap: 15 minutes | Men — 175 pounds, 30-inch box | Women — 125 pounds, 24-inch box
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[Related: On to the Semifinals — 2021 CrossFit Games Quarterfinals Results]
Four-time Fittest Man on Earth® Rich Froning, who also has four CrossFit Games victories with Team CrossFit Mayhem and Team CrossFit Mayhem Freedom, took to his Instagram page to call out CrossFit Games Director Dave Castro if these workouts were some kind of joke.
Are these the workouts or throwback Thursday combined with April Fools and 4/20?!
Of course, they are the real workouts that each Team will have to complete. The submissions for the first two workouts are due on Friday, April 23, 2021, by noon PST. Workouts three and four are due by Saturday, April 24, 2021, by noon PST. The final workout is due on Sunday, April 25, 2021, by noon PST.
[Related: How to Program for CrossFit Athletes Returning After a Break]
Too Much Volume?
With the sheer volume of work each athlete on each team has to perform, the pace will certainly be a key factor to avoid overworking themselves. The risk of potentially triggering rhabdo, which is when muscle damage is so severe that the muscle breaks down and pieces of it wind up in the bloodstream, is something worth keeping in mind.
Hopefully, every Team will stay sufficiently hydrated and perform these workouts where the temperature isn’t too hot — which could be a contributing factor to over-exertion. As long as athletes listen to their bodies and prevent their egos from convincing them to push past their body’s thresholds, those who advance to the Semifinals will have most definitely earned it.
The 2021 NOBULL CrossFit Games is currently scheduled for July 27 through Aug. 1, 2021.
Featured image: @richfroning