Here’s the Crossfit Open 23.3 workout that was released on 3/2/2023:
Starting with a 6-minute time cap, complete as many reps as possible of:
- 5 wall walks
- 50 double-unders
- 15 snatches (weight 1)
- 5 wall walks
- 50 double-unders
- 12 snatches (weight 2)
*If completed before the 6-minute time cap, add 3 minutes to the time cap and complete:
- 20 strict handstand push-ups
- 50 double-unders
- 9 snatches (weight 3)
*If completed before the 9-minute time cap, add 3 minutes to the time cap and complete:
- 20 strict handstand push-ups
- 50 double-unders
- 6 snatches (weight 4)
♀ 65 lb, 95 lb, 125 lb, 155 lb
♂ 95 lb, 135 lb, 185 lb, 225 lb
Jump to:
CrossFit Open 23.3 Strategy and Tips
Here are some tips to get the best time possible on CrossFit Open workout 23.3.
1. Do a Long Warm Up, and Go All Out From the Whistle
You have to hit the ground running in this workout, so take an extra long time warming up. Do at least five minutes of cardio and add in a few harder spurts to get your heart rate up and get used to operating at that level.
Run through each of the movements at least once. You want to start this workout with no ramp up period at all. Six minutes isn’t long enough to warm up.
If you think you can breeze through this section, do it. The one or two minutes rest is good to get your heart rate down and also will save you tons of time because you can add weight to the bar.
2. Do What It Takes to Survive
If you think you’re going to be flirting with the cutoff time in part one, you can’t afford to waste any time on this workout. Depending on your strength and fitness levels, you may not want to game 23.3 like we’ve suggested in previous weeks, at least as much as you normally would.
For example, you probably shouldn’t drop the snatches. Even though it’ll fry your grip and shoulders faster by cycling, those seconds could add up and make it hard to advance.
If you think you’ll be pushing it close to the cap, make sure your jump rope isn’t tangled when you put it down. Set it down neatly next to the wall and bar so it’s easy to pick up.
Cardio-wise, if you have to red line to make it to the first cut-off, do it.
3. Check For Hurdles Before the Workout Starts
Check to make sure:
- Your shoes are tied (double knotted).
- You’ve chalked anything that needs chalk.
- You have all the weights you’ll need and can easily add them to your bar.
- You know the workout and won’t have to look at the board.
Don’t psych yourself out, but one slip-up or mental error in part one and you might miss the cut-off. Eliminate as many variables as you can!
4. Have a Strategy for the Wall Walks and HSPU
Unless you’re incredibly strong, this is the bottleneck in the workout. You can sort of take your time on the wall walks in round one. Make sure you breathe through the reps and keep your heart rate low. Get down from the wall as fast as you can (but maintain standards) to save your shoulders from unnecessary tension.
CrossFit Open 23.3 Tips
Here are some additional quick tips to help you get the best score on 23.3:
- Hydrate well before this workout.
- Each some simple carbs before this workout, like a banana or a serving of fruit juice. The sugar will come in handy when you’re pushing it through the snatches.
- This is one you can re-do, although your shoulders are going to be sore still on Monday probably. If you aren’t happy with your score, take care of yourself this weekend and hit it hard again.
Good luck on 23.3!
Here’s our original prediction on this workout:
—
CrossFit Games season is upon us! We’re putting together a series of workout predictions and training tips to help you set a huge PR this Open season.
Have you read our predictions for CrossFit Open 23.1 and 23.2 workouts? We’re all on in this being a year where HQ challenges us with new movements, ones that logically advance us from workouts we’ve seen over the last two or three years.
Check out our prediction for the final workout in the 2023 CrossFit Open, plus how we’d tackle this hypothetical workout below.
Check back for when the actual individual and teams workouts are released!
CrossFit Open 23.3 Workout Prediction
Let’s start with the fitness workout prediction and then break it down as we go. Here’s ours:
For Total Time:
- 5 Power Cleans (155/115lbs)
- 10 Pull-Ups
- 20 Wall Ball Shots (20/14lbs)
- 40 Double Unders
—
- 10 Squat Cleans (155/115lbs)
- 15 Chest to Bar Pull Ups
- 20 Wall Ball Shots (20/14lbs)
- 40 Double Unders
—
- 15 Squat Clean Thrusters (155/115lbs)
- 20 Ring Muscle Ups
- 20 Wall Ball Shots (20/14lbs)
- 40 Double Unders
*20 min time Cap.
CrossFit Open 23.3 Clues
Keep an eye out on the CrossFit Games Instagram page for more clues. Last year, they dropped hints a few weeks ahead of time, including a Wordle-type puzzle for Open workout 22.1
Below we break down some clues about the workout and our rationale for the movement/format of 23.3.
Rationale for Power Cleans, Squat Cleans, Squat Clean Thrusters
We’re very likely to see an Olympic weightlifting movement or two at some point in the CrossFit Open. In this hypothetical scenario, neither the snatch or clean has come up yet, so we felt compelled to put it in the third and final workout.
This workout gets progressively more difficult, so the thrusters at the end are really meant to separate competitors in the final round. It will be the final bottleneck for many and the place their workout ends.
Rationale for Pull Ups, Chest to Bar Pull Ups, Muscle Ups
Regular pull-ups have only ever made an appearance once in the CrossFit Open (last year). It’s a bit of a risky pick, but in this scenario, where they progress to chest to bar pull ups, it’s not as crazy. Chest to bar pull ups have been in all but one Open season!
The 20 muscle ups at the end will be impossible for many athletes to get through. In our opinion, they need one final threshold like this to separate athletes who may be on the cusp. Athletes at the games can easily be expected to complete a workout like this in under 20 minutes, so it’s your chance to prove you belong.
Rationale for Wall Ball Shots
Wall balls are another favorite; they’ve appeared in over 80 percent of CrossFit Opens since the beginning, so it’d be no surprise if they came up. In this case, they fit snugly into this workout as an opportunity to test your cardio but also to get your heart rate back down after some very difficult barbell and gymnastics work.
Unlike the cleans/pull-ups, the reps here stay the same. They don’t like super complicated workouts, because it’s hard for affiliates to score.
In terms of mentality, wall balls will also give newer athletes motivation if they struggle. This workout definitely needs some balance, and the wall balls give it that.
Rationale for Double Unders
Simply put, double unders are a skill you need in CrossFit. If you stumble and fall and lose 30 seconds because you can’t knock out 40 straight double unders, you likely weren’t going to qualify for the next round.
Double unders have never not been used in a CrossFit games season.
Rationale for 20 Minute Time Cap
We saw “as many rounds as possible” workouts in the first two weeks, so this one is a chance to get a great score and test yourself. Qualifying for the next round likely means you have the skill to finish this workout under the 20 minute cap.
Crossfit Open 23.3 Announcement
The CrossFit Games season officially begins on February 16, 2023. Workouts are announced on Thursday and athletes have until Monday at 5pm to submit their scores.
If your affiliate doesn’t submit your scores by the deadline, there is no way to add your score back into the database. So if you want to do the workout multiple times to attempt the best score, it’s best to save the date for the announcement and plan to do your first workout that night!
Crossfit Open 23.3 Scaled
There are scaling options available for the community if the RX workouts aren’t an option given your fitness level. Last year, Adrian Bozman at CrossFit HQ released the “three tiers” to help athletes decide if they should go RX or scale the workout. Watch below:
Crossfit Open 23.3 Equipment List
For this hypothetical workout, you would need:
- Barbell (with weights up to 155lbs)
- Pull up bar
- Gymnastics rings
- Jump rope
- Wall ball (20 or 14lbs)
Below we’ll break down how you should approach this workout to get the best score.
CrossFit Open 23.3 Strategy
Get ready for a classic CrossFit grinder! As a reminder, here’s our prediction workout:
For Total Time:
- 5 Power Cleans (155/115lbs)
- 10 Pull-Ups
- 20 Wall Ball Shots (20/14lbs)
- 40 Double Unders
—
- 10 Squat Cleans (155/115lbs)
- 15 Chest to Bar Pull Ups
- 20 Wall Ball Shots (20/14lbs)
- 40 Double Unders
—
- 15 Squat Clean Thrusters (155/115lbs)
- 20 Ring Muscle Ups
- 40 Wall Ball Shots (20/14lbs)
- 40 Double Unders
*20 min time Cap to complete the following complex.
1- Don’t Get Discouraged
This workout is designed for all levels, even if it doesn’t look like it at first. Newcomers might see the muscle ups at the end and think there’s no way they’ll ever finish, so what’s the point? But there’s solid work to finish before you ever have to worry about that. If you don’t make it to the muscle ups or through them, you have a goal for next year.
2- Drop The Bar Between Reps
As with 23.2, you’ll want to save your grip by dropping the bar between each rep—even for thrusters, when you’re dropping from a locked out overhead position. So long as you stay in rhythm and drop with the bar to complete your next rep, it shouldn’t add any time to your score. This is a subtle thing that makes a big difference.
You’ll save your grip for the later rounds, which matters because there’s really no point for your forearms to ever rest in this WOD.
3- Stay Close to Chalk
You may need to regrip several times during the workout. (We know from experience that sweaty hands can make even wall balls into a nightmare quickly.) Have chalk nearby in case you need it. Walking to get chalk will waste precious time.
4- Bank the First Round, Then Start Going For It
Think of the first sequence of four movements as a “buy in” for this workout. Unless you’re on the cusp of qualifying for the next round—where literally every second matters—you will preserve your strength and cardio for the later rounds by not crushing yourself on the first 75 repetitions.
This sequence should take 2 to 3 minutes if you complete it unbroken. You’ll still have plenty of time to finish under the 20 minute cap if you start slow.
