We are in the middle of the 2025 CrossFit Open, and for the workout 25.2 announcement, we head to CrossFit Incendia in Peoria, AZ, for a throwdown between Emily Rolfe and rising star Sydney Wells.
We’ve assembled a dream team of elite coaches — Matt Torres, John Singleton, Justin Cotler, Kyle Rolfe, and Perrin Behr — to bring you tips and strategies for each workout. They’ve coached multiple-time Games athletes like James Sprague, Dallin Pepper, Kari Pearce, Bethany Flores, Alex Gazan, Ricky Garard, and others.
Check out the description of the 25.2 workout below, and keep reading for tips and strategies.
CrossFit Open Workout 25.2
CrossFit Open 25.2 is a repeat of Open workout 22.3. Here’s what athletes are up against:
CrossFit Open Workout 25.2
For time:
- 21 pull-ups
- 42 double-unders
- 21 thrusters (weight 1)
- 18 chest-to-bar pull-ups
- 36 double-unders
- 18 thrusters (weight 2)
- 15 bar muscle-ups
- 30 double-unders
- 15 thrusters (weight 3)
Women: 65, 75, 85 lbs (29, 34, 38 kg)
Men: 95, 115, 135 lbs (43, 52, 61 kg)
Time cap: 12 minutes
Scorecards and Descriptions
25.2 Tips and Strategies from Elite Coaches
Unlike 25.1, which was all about embracing the pain, 25.2 is a whole lot more technical and requires a lot more strategy and planning than burpees, dumbbell clean to overheads, and walking lunges.
We reached out to five seasoned CrossFit Games coaches to hear their insights about best practices to approach the challenge 25.2 presents.
John Singleton
If you did the Open in 2022, you have “a great orientation point,” said John Singleton, the founder of the Progrm, who has coached many of Europe’s top CrossFit Games athletes throughout the years.
Ultimately, 25.2, unlike 25.1, will look a whole lot different for the elite athlete than it will for the average lifestyle athlete.
- “For most athletes, the name of the game is to get as far into the workout as possible,” Singleton said. However, for elite athletes, it will be about pushing themselves close to the red line without going over.
Although the workout pays homage to CrossFit’s classic girl workout “Fran,” it “should be attacked differently due to the longer duration,” Singleton said.
- For the lifestyle athlete trying to get as far as they can, Singleton offered this tip: Short sets right from the beginning might be your best bet.
- And for the elite athlete aiming to finish the workout [with plenty of time to spare], he said: Don’t rush your reps beyond your capacity, especially at the start of the workout.
Check out more tips from Singleton here.
Justin Cotler
Justin Cotler, Underdog Athletics owner and Alex Gazan’s coach, agrees with Singleton: 25.2 will look very different for the elite athlete than the “everydayers.”
- For the Elites, Cotler said this: “Can you hang on and go unbroken? It’s not necessary to do so to be in the top 1%, but you absolutely will have to if you want a truly elite score.”
- For the “Everydayers”: “Play to your strengths. If you want a chance to finish this with an optimal score, break early and often, even if you don’t need to. This will save your grip and keep you from redlining. That will give you a chance to maximize your workout and beat your score from 2022.”
Cotler predicts a sub-five-minute score will be “elite” for women and 4:30 for men.
Perrin Behr
While 25.2 is “very individualized,” as it depends on an athlete’s individual skill and fitness level, Training Think Tank coach Perrin Behr said there are some things everyone can do to maximize their performance, including:
- First: “Warm up well for this workout. Make sure that you elevate your heart rate [before the workout] and feel the intensity of what’s to come because it escalates quickly.”
- Second: “Plan ahead for the bar muscle-ups, which are the major separator in this workout. Run your own race and break up as needed to conserve energy to be as fresh as possible for the bar muscle-ups.”
- Third: “The last barbell is more deceptive than you may think. Be mentally prepared for it to feel challenging and decide whether you will break based on rep cadence and fatigue.”
Matt Torres
Brute Strength coach Matt Torres, who coaches the reigning Fittest Man on Earth, James Sprague, said athletes should take an individualized approach to 25.2. Each athlete needs to consider what will allow them to be the most consistent and get their best score.
- “It’s a race against your best self,” Torres said.
With that being said, he offered this: Plan how you’re going to split up the gymnastics movements ahead of time, rather than being “forced to split” it up as you find yourself too fatigued, he explained.
Further, use a false grip on the thruster bar to preserve your grip, and aim to go unbroken on the double-unders.
Kyle Rolfe
Kyle Rolfe, who attended the live announcement to coach his wife, Emily Rolfe, also offered his insights for both athletes looking to be in the top 1% and the everyday CrossFit athlete.
- Elite: “You are going to go out hard. It’s like a Fran, and it’s going to sneak up on you (lactic acid). If you go out too hard and you can’t hold on, you’re going to blow up. If you can hold on, you’re going to get a good time. Choose your hard,” Rolfe said.
- Everyday: “Smooth transitions, short sharp sets. Leave a couple in the tank and you’ll reap the rewards later in the workout. Do not try and do this like an elite level athlete.”
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Featured image: CrossFit Games / YouTube
