CrossFit Games

2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games 23.1 Affiliate Class Plan

February 16, 2023 by
Photo Credit: Anna Bartlett (@arb.visuals)
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The 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Open kicked off with a repeat workout from 2014. Today we’re providing you a lesson plan to run 23.1 at your affiliate, in the hopes of making life a little easier for coaches and gym owners during the craziest three weeks of the year. 

Logistics 

  • Two heats: If your class size outnumbers the rowers available, you can run heats back-to-back with a five minute break in between. If you print out scorecards and have athletes judge each other to make the Open more official than a regular class, this is the option you can use. In my experience, this model is great for building community and creating an atmosphere that makes the Open feel special. 
  • Delayed start: If you have equipment limitations, but want more time to teach/review the movements, you can use a delayed start to account for equipment/space limitations. You can have the first group start their workout at “0:00” and the second group start at “6:00.” With this model, you free up 13 minutes in your class timeline. 
  • One heat: If you have the space and equipment to accommodate all of your classes in one heat, you’ll have plenty of time after the workout to cool-down, clean-up and offer some optional assistance. If athletes are too tired from the workout intensity, encourage them to do additional stretching and/or rolling during this time. 

Class timeline: Depending which logistical option fits your gym best, you can use any of the following timelines. 

Two Heats:

  • Whiteboard Brief (0:00-5:00) 
  • Mobility (5:00-12:00)
  • Prep (12:00-22:00)
  • Heat 1 (22:00-36:00)
  • Heat 2 (41:00-55:00)
  • Recovery (55:00-60:00)

Delayed Start:

  • Whiteboard Brief (0:00-5:00) 
  • Mobility (5:00-12:00)
  • Prep (12:00-30:00)
  • Delayed Start (30:00-50:00)
  • Recovery (50:00-60:00)

One Heat: 

  • Whiteboard Brief (0:00-5:00) 
  • Mobility (5:00-12:00)
  • Prep (12:00-30:00)
  • One Heat (30:00-44:00)
  • Recovery (44:00-50:00)
  • Optional Assistance (50:00-60:00)

Whiteboard brief: Review the scoring, standards and different test variations detailed in the Workout Description and Scorecard. You can provide further context on each movement by using the following notes:  

  • Rowing: Cap yourself at 5-minutes on the rower so you have enough time to perform the other movements within the 14-minute window. 
  • Toes-to-bar: Tell athletes to choose the scaling option that will allow them to do quick sets and be consistent across the 50 reps. You don’t want to be staring at the bar from coming out too hot, so strategizing a descending rep scheme may be a good choice to keep moving as fatigue sets in. 
  • Wall Balls: Choose a target height and weight that allows you to hit at least sets of 10 unbroken reps when fatigued. 
  • Cleans: Choose a lighter weight that can be cycled as quick singles. 
  • Muscle Ups: This will be highly specific to each individual and their ability/goals. At this point in the workout, the athlete has gotten to play with all of the movements so it’s a good place to tell people to test themselves and go for it. 

Mobility: Pair athletes up and have one partner row for a minute while the other partner does mobility on the floor. Alternate who is on the rower every minute, completing three total rounds of rowing and mobility. 

The person on the rower needs to tell their partner when to switch at the 30-second mark each round. This mobility segment divides your class into two groups, which will make your life easier later if you’re running multiple heats in your class.  

Prep: Review each movement (along with scaling options), leading the first round movement-by-movement. The first round should be with an empty barbell and then they should add weight in the remaining two rounds when they’re moving at their own pace.  

3 rounds, building in intensity: 

  • 6 Toes-to-bar option 
  • 6 Wall Balls 
  • 4 Cleans (building to workout weight)
  • 2 Muscle Up option 

Circle the room and work with athletes individually during this prep time, making sure each person is moving well and has scaled appropriately for the day. If you’re running two heats, be sure to have athletes in the second heat do some burpees and jumping air squats to stay warm during the time they’re waiting. If you’re going with the delayed start or single heat, you can add extra skill work or teaching time before starting this prep. 

Recovery: Give athletes a few minutes to recover before calling them together and leading them through a proper recovery segment. Perform each movement for 1-minute before switching. 

Recommended movements for Saturday classes: This workout is going to be tough on the lats, legs, pecs and midline. Consider using some of the following movements in your Saturday classes to prevent repeating movement patterns.  

  • Double unders
  • Bike
  • Running 
  • Box Jumps 
  • Strict Press
  • Push Press 

The bottom line: The Open is a magical time inside the walls of a CrossFit affiliate. This is a time to test and celebrate your fitness with your fitness family. I hope this class plan takes some work off the plate of coaches and I wish everyone the best of luck in your first week of the Open!

If you have questions about this class plan or anything related, feel free to email me at [email protected] and I will try my best to get back to you as soon as possible. 

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