COMPETITION TASK REVIEW (2011 -

This is a summary of WOD characteristics and key data points from a collection of official CrossFit workouts.   We looked back at the Opens, Regionals, Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Games since 2011.   The purpose of this review is to get a clearer understanding of how athletes should prepare for these events.  Whether you train with us or not, we hope the following information is helpful.    Our findings are presented in the following sections.

Workout duration

Nearly half of the WODs are between 5 and 15 minutes.   (If a workout was on the boundary, we counted in with the longer segment.  For example, an AMRAP 10 was added to the 10:00 – 15:00 group).  Tests under 1:00 are rare.  This seems to indicate that a massive glycolytic engine is not a key ingredient to success in CrossFit.  However, bio-energetics is complicated and we deal with these issues in depth in our podcast.   Durations are not evenly distributed across  competition levels. 

The extremes (Under 1:00, over 30:00) mostly happen at the higher levels of competition.   It’s logistically difficult to do a 60-minute run or a marathon row anywhere besides the Games.  Note also that Individual Quarterfinals are new, so there isn’t much data.   

NOTES

  • In the era of Regionals, all athletes did the same workouts.  Therefore, the count of Regionals workouts is relatively small.  

  • In the Semi-finals, events were given some programming freedom, so there are many more workouts in the Semi-finals.  

  • We used the average completion time, where applicable, to determine where a workout fits, rather than the time cap. For fixed-time workouts, we used the fixed time.

     

Task review and analysis

  • Approximately 190 different tasks were programmed across these 425 workouts.     

  • Approximately 1150 tasks, in total, were programmed, in these WODs.  

Some classification was subjective.  For example, is the Low Banger the same task as the Mid Banger?   Where it was reasonable to do so, we counted every task distinctly.    WODs tend toward about 2.5 tasks each. 

DISCUSSION

This is our opinion on some of the slight differences.  

  • The Games average is a bit lower, probably due to the increased number of 1RMs and Ladders, as well as longer, single-event tasks like Obstacle Courses or Marathon Rows. Separating the elite from the merely excellent requires more precision in testing.

  • Quarterfinals tests feature more events.  The Quarterfinals are a harsh filter for a large number of reasonably fit athletes.   By testing more tasks, athletes who are not ready for semi-finals are more readily identified.

Although there are 190 or so unique tasks, many of these appear infrequently.   While the tests change in accordance with the Constantly Varied ethos, 19 tasks comprise about 2/3 of the entire body of competitions.

19 tasks comprise approximately 65% of all workouts ever programmed in CrossFit competitions. (Odd Objects are not included in that total).   We believe that this data supports developing strength, skills and conditioning as the foundation of a fitness training program.

Notes

  • Clean and Snatch include every version of those tasks:  Power Cleans, Squat Cleans etc.  

  • HSPU includes all variations: strict, parallette, etc. 

  • Odd Object was defined broadly.   While most people would agree that a Husafell Stone is an odd object, what about a wheelbarrow?  Med Ball when thrown?  Sled?  Axle Bar?   If we weren’t sure, we included it.

STAY IN TOUCH

We hope that this was informative and maybe even a little interesting.   

 

WARNING

If you scroll down, you’ll see a list of all 187 tasks. It’s a long list. You’ll be scrolling for a while. If we missed one, let us know and we’ll add it.

  1. Single DB Overhead Squat

  2. Single DB Push Press

  3. Air Bike

  4. Air Squat

  5. Alt DB Snatch

  6. Alt Pistols

  7. Axle Deadlift

  8. Back Rack Walking Lunge

  9. Back Squat

  10. Ball Slam

  11. Banger

  12. Bar Facing Burpees

  13. Bar Muscle Up

  14. Beach Run

  15. Bench Press

  16. Bicycle

  17. Bike Erg

  18. Box Jump

  19. Box Jump Over

  20. Box Jumps

  21. Broad Jump

  22. Burpee Box Jump

  23. Burpee Box Jump Over

  24. Burpee Pullup

  25. Burpee Ring Muscle Up

  26. Burpees

  27. Burpees over Bar

  28. Burpees over Box

  29. Burpees Over Hay Bale

  30. C T B Pullup

  31. Clean

  32. Clean and Jerk

  33. Complex

  34. Crossover Double Under

  35. Cylinder Carry

  36. DB Box Step Over

  37. DB Box Step Up

  38. DB Carry

  39. DB Clean

  40. DB Clean and Jerk

  41. DB Deadlift

  42. DB Front Rack Walking Lunge

  43. DB Ground to Overhead

  44. DB Handstand Pushup

  45. DB Hang Clean

  46. DB Hang Clean and Jerk

  47. DB Hang Snatch

  48. DB OH Walking Lunge

  49. DB Overhead Squat

  50. DB Overhead Walking Lunge

  51. DB Push Press

  52. DB Shoulder to Overhead

  53. DB Snatch

  54. DB Squat

  55. DB Thruster

  56. DB Walking Lunge

  57. DBall Box Overs

  58. DBall Clean

  59. Deadlift

  60. Deficit Handstand Pushup

  61. Devil Press

  62. Dips

  63. Double Unders

  64. Down Banger

  65. Drag

  66. Farmer Carry

  67. Fat Bar Thruster

  68. Freestanding Handstand Pushup

  69. Front Rack Lunge (axle)

  70. Front Rack Lunge (Slam Ball)

  71. Front Rack Walking Lunge

  72. Front Squat

  73. G H D Situp

  74. Ground to Overhead

  75. Hand Release Push-Up

  76. Handstand Hold

  77. Handstand Pushup

  78. Handstand Walk

  79. Hang Clean

  80. Hang Power Clean

  81. Hang Power Snatch

  82. Hang Snatch

  83. Hang Squat Clean

  84. Hang Squat Snatch

  85. Heavy Double Unders

  86. HS Walk (Obstacle)

  87. HSPU (Wall Facing)

  88. Husafell Carry

  89. Jerk

  90. Jerry Bag Carry

  91. Jug Carry

  92. Jump overs

  93. Kayak

  94. KB Clean and Jerk

  95. KB Deadlift

  96. KB Jerk

  97. KB Lunge

  98. KB Overhead Walking Lunge

  99. KB Snatch

  100. KB Sumo Deadlift High Pull

  101. KB Swings

  102. KB Thruster

  103. KB Walking Lunge

  104. L-sit

  105. Left Arm DB Lunge

  106. Legless Rope Climb

  107. Log Carry

  108. Low Banger

  109. Low Start Handstand Walk

  110. Med Ball Carry

  111. Med Ball Clean

  112. Med Ball G H D Situp

  113. Med Ball Toss

  114. Mid Banger

  115. Monkey Bar

  116. Muscle Up

  117. Obstacle Course

  118. Ocean Swim

  119. Overhead Axle Lunge

  120. Overhead KB Walking Lunge

  121. Overhead Squat

  122. Overhead Walking Lunge

  123. Paddle

  124. Parallel Bar Traverse

  125. Parallette Handstand Pushup

  126. Pegboard

  127. Pig

  128. Pirouette Start Handstand Walk

  129. Pistols

  130. Plow Drag

  131. Power Clean

  132. Power Snatch

  133. Pullup

  134. Push Jerk

  135. Push Press

  136. Push-Up

  137. Ring Dips

  138. Ring Handstand Pushup

  139. Ring Muscle Up

  140. Rope Climb

  141. Row

  142. Rt Arm DB Lunge

  143. Ruck Run

  144. Run

  145. Sack Carry

  146. Sandbag Carry

  147. Sandbag Clean

  148. Sandbag Lift

  149. Sandbag over Shoulder

  150. Sandbag to Shoulder

  151. Shoulder press

  152. Shoulder to O/H Walking

  153. Shoulder to Overhead

  154. Shoulder to Overhead (axle)

  155. Shuttle Sprint

  156. Single Unders

  157. Ski Erg

  158. Sled Drag

  159. Sled Pull

  160. Sled Push

  161. Snail Push

  162. Snatch

  163. Softball Throw

  164. Split Snatch

  165. Sprint

  166. Sprint Carry

  167. Squat

  168. Squat Snatch

  169. Strict Deficit Handstand Pushup

  170. Strict Handstand Pushup

  171. Strict Press

  172. Strict Ring Muscle Up

  173. Sumo DL High Pulls

  174. Swim

  175. Tank Push

  176. Thruster

  177. Toes to Bar

  178. Toes to Rings

  179. True Form run

  180. Tumbler Pull

  181. V-up

  182. Walking Lunge

  183. Wall Ball

  184. Wall Burpees

  185. Wall Walk

  186. Weighted Pistol

  187. Wheelbarrow

  188. Yoke