2025 CrossFit Games Age Group Semifinals – Workout Breakdown & Strategy Guide
The 2025 CrossFit Games Semifinal workouts have been released—and we have to say, at first glance, we really like them. But does that mean they're too friendly? Or perhaps not comprehensive enough? Let’s take a deeper look into each test, the movement selection, and what it all means for the athletes competing for a spot at the Games.
General Overview
These five workouts present a balanced challenge—at least on the surface. The structure spans classic AMRAPs, chipper-style tests, sprint-style workouts, and heavy lifting. However, some major elements appear to be missing, notably:
- No squatting movements of any kind
- No dedicated heavy lift / 1-rep max test
This raises valid questions about the completeness of the test series in identifying the fittest athletes to move on to the CrossFit Games. Let’s dive into each workout.
Test 1: Ascending Clean + Bar Muscle-Up Ladder (10-min AMRAP)
Format:
- Start with 1 clean + 1 bar muscle-up
- Add 1 rep of each movement every round
- ♀ 125 lb | ♂ 185 lb
Why It’s Deceiving:
The first 5 rounds feel like a warm-up. But completing round 10 means you've done 55 reps of each—not a small number, especially under fatigue.
Key Challenges:
- Pulling fatigue and grip failure
- Aerobic capacity under high heart rate
- Bar muscle-up endurance
Strategy:
- Singles on cleans from the start to preserve grip
- Treat rounds 1–5 as a buy-in
- Manage bar muscle-up sets—break early if needed
- Don’t waste time transitioning between bar and barbell
Test 2: Rowing + Shoulder-to-Overhead (20-min cap)
For Time:
- 60/75-cal row
- 21 STOH (light)
- 60/75-cal row
- 15 STOH (moderate)
- 60/75-cal row
- 9 STOH (heavy)
♀ 85–125–155 lb | ♂ 135–185–225 lb
Key Challenge:
- Managing grip and shoulder fatigue across high-volume rowing
- Deciding whether STOH is a strength or weakness
Strategy Split:
- If STOH is a strength → row at 70–80% effort, push the pace
- If STOH is a limiter → treat rowing as active recovery, preserve shoulders
- Consider breaking STOH sets early if necessary to avoid redlining
Test 3: Handstand Walk + Pull + Core Combo (20-min cap)
For Time:
- 30-ft handstand walk (15-ft sections)
- 30 pull-ups
- 30 lateral burpees over dumbbell
- 30 toes-to-bar
Key Challenges:
- Grip fatigue from pull-ups + toes-to-bar
- Shoulder and midline fatigue from handstand walks
- Time loss on inefficient burpee pacing
Strategy:
- Break pull-ups and toes-to-bar into small, fast sets
- Stay disciplined on burpee pacing—this is a sneaky time sink
- Efficient handstand walk transitions—don’t rush into no-reps
Test 4: Sprint Style Chipper (7-min cap)
For Time:
- 150-ft overhead walking lunge
- 50 alternating dumbbell snatches
- 50 box jump-overs
♀ 35-lb | 20” box | ♂ 50-lb | 24” box
Key Challenges:
- Time cap is aggressive
- Upper-body endurance and speed
- Unbroken execution vs. controlled pacing
Strategy:
- Plan to go unbroken or take one planned break on the lunge
- Snatch tempo should be consistent—bigger sets with controlled speed beat fast, broken ones
- Don’t let the box jump-overs stall your finish—move steadily and stay close to the box
Test 5: Heavy Isabel (10-min cap)
For Time:
- 30 snatches
- ♀ 145 lb | ♂ 215 lb
Key Challenge:
- A true separator—raw power and snatch proficiency
- High likelihood of missed reps for many athletes
Strategy:
- Limit missed reps—each failed lift costs energy and time
- Singles all the way
- Understand your ceiling and floor—do what you can, and don't panic
No Squats, No Max Lift – Is That a Problem?
There’s a surprising absence of squatting. That may benefit more hinge-dominant athletes and reduce demands on mobility and positional strength. Also, there's no 1-rep max test, which traditionally plays a role in later stages of competition.
While this doesn’t automatically make the programming flawed, it does spark the question: Are these five workouts enough to filter the top 30 Games athletes?
Recommended Flow for Weekend Execution
To get the best performance across the weekend, we recommend completing high-output, lower-volume tests first, followed by the longer workouts.
Thursday / Friday:
- Workout 5 (Heavy Isabel)
- Workout 3 (HSPU + Pulling)
- Workout 4 (Sprint chipper)
Saturday:
- Workout 1 (Clean + BMU ladder)
- Workout 2 (Row + STOH)
Sunday:
- Repeat your lowest score or most strategic workout
Final Thoughts
The 2025 CrossFit Semifinal workouts offer a good mix of intensity, gymnastics, barbell cycling, and aerobic demands—but not without questions. The lack of squatting and a max lift may raise eyebrows, yet the execution, pacing, and discipline across these five tests will still reveal plenty about each athlete.
Key Takeaways:
- Manage grip and shoulder fatigue across the board
- Stick to structured pacing plans tailored to your strengths
- Focus on minimising time loss, not just pushing max effort
- Trust your training and execute with purpose
