The second workout of the 2024 CrossFit Open is just days away, and the CrossFit community is buzzing with speculation. Dave Castro, CrossFit’s longtime programming mastermind, has teased that “25.2 is going to get real and fast.” This cryptic clue, combined with a visual hint featuring seven metallic rods, has sparked numerous theories about what movements, formats, and challenges could be coming.
From potential repeat workouts to time-based progression formats, here’s what to expect from 25.2 based on clues, past Open trends, and expert predictions.
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Breaking Down Dave Castro’s Clue
In his “Weekend Review”, Castro shared a short, seemingly nondescript video showing seven metallic rods arranged in a row. While some initially speculated these were bullets, others pointed out they more closely resemble copper grounding rods.
The number seven has led many to believe that 25.2 could involve seven rounds of a workout or perhaps seven different movements. The phrase “real and fast” has also been widely analyzed, with some suggesting it could hint at a workout with time windows—a format where athletes must complete a set amount of work within a timeframe to continue advancing.
This theory aligns with past Open workouts that required athletes to earn extra time by completing work quickly. These formats typically feature increasing weights or movement complexity as the workout progresses.
Potential Workouts for 25.2
1. A Seven-Round Workout?
Given the seven rods in Castro’s hint, many believe 25.2 could feature a seven-round format, possibly incorporating movements that require accuracy, such as:
- Wall ball shots and toes-to-bar – Both require precision, with wall balls demanding accuracy to hit a target and toes-to-bar requiring contact with the bar.
- Wall balls and shuttle runs – Shuttle runs appeared in the Open for the first time in 2023 and could return.
Amanda Hari, a CrossFit analyst and Youtuber, noted that accuracy could play a key role in this week’s workout. “If those rods were bullets, maybe this is about accuracy—like wall balls hitting a target,” she speculated.
2. A Repeat Workout?
Some believe 25.2 will be a repeat workout from a previous Open. The most commonly suggested option is Workout 20.4, which included:
✅ 30 Box Jumps
✅ 15 Clean and Jerks (progressively heavier weights)
✅ 30 Single-Leg Squats (Pistols)
The pistol squats in this workout could connect to the “bullets” theory. However, Hari is skeptical of this pick, noting that it “doesn’t really feel real and fast” since the heavier weights don’t appear until later in the workout.
Another possible repeat is Workout 22.3, which included:
✅ Pull-ups, chest-to-bar pull-ups, and bar muscle-ups
✅ Thrusters at increasing weights
✅ Double unders
Thrusters are a staple of the Open, and if 25.3 ends up featuring wall balls and rowing (as some predict), then repeating 22.3 this week would make sense.
3. A Double-Scored Event?
Hari has also suggested the possibility of a double-scored event, something that hasn’t been seen in recent Opens.
“With the top 1% advancing to semifinals this year, the Open needs to help separate the best athletes,” she explained. “Adding a fourth score could help with that.”
A double-scored event typically features two distinct challenges within the same workout, such as:
- A strength test followed by a metabolic conditioning workout
- A for-time workout with an additional AMRAP (as many reps as possible) section
4. A Multi-Window Workout?
Many believe Castro’s “real and fast” comment hints at a progressive time-window workout, where athletes must complete a certain amount of work within a set timeframe to continue.
Hari noted, “I really think we could see a workout where it gets heavier, more complex, or longer depending on how much work you can finish within the time cap.”
These workouts allow elite athletes to continue pushing further, while others might get capped earlier.
Final Thoughts: What to Expect for 25.2
The official 25.2 workout announcement is set for Thursday at 12 PM PT (3 PM ET) in Arizona, where Sydney Wells and Emily Rolfe will go head-to-head. While the athlete selections don’t always hint at the workout, both are strong runners, fueling speculation that shuttle runs could be involved.
While no one knows for sure what 25.2 will bring, the most likely possibilities include:
✅ A seven-round workout
✅ A repeat of a past Open workout (likely 22.3 or 20.4)
✅ A double-scored event
✅ A time-window workout with progressive difficulty
As Hari summed up, “No one really knows what’s coming—but that’s what makes this so fun. We’ll see how close these predictions are when the workout drops.”
Until then, the CrossFit community will continue to speculate, train, and prepare for whatever Castro has in store.
