CrossFit Open 25.1
It’s that time of year again - CrossFit Open time! This year will look different for me - I’m 34 weeks pregnant today, so my Open workouts will likely be pretty scaled & modified. This will be my 4th time doing the Open pregnant! I did in pregnant in 2017, fall of 2019 (remember that switch in the season?!), 2022 and now 2025.
I love when they program Open workouts that are friendly to the community, especially to start the Open - it gives everyone the opportunity to do the workout & we can see just how fast the elites can move!
I’ve been doing these blogging recommendations for 6 years for pregnant/postpartum athletes & 7 years for athletes with orthopedics injuries/pain. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long!
Side bar: For anyone who is reading this blog post, whether you’re injured, pregnant or postpartum, what’s your intention with the Open? Are you trying to get in a good workout? Are you trying to test the waters postpartum to see where you’re at? Are you trying to get the best Rx score at all costs no matter whether you’re injured, pregnant or postpartum?
Intention.
That’s my question for myself when it comes to scaling/modifying a workout, whether it’s for me or a patient/client. I like to focus on quality of movement and getting in a good workout (i.e. staying moving, minimal breaks, etc) in this chapter. My gym time isn’t super consistent with having 3 kids + 1 on the way and owning two businesses, so I feel the need to scale to keep the workout appropriate for where my body is at. That’s different from before having kids & also from when I have been able to train consistently in postpartum. If I get hurt working out, that affects my ability to care for my kids, be there for my family & work, so I choose to modify my workouts more.
That being said, I think focusing on staying moving with quality movement is more important in the later pregnancy & early postpartum chapters. Focusing on quality movement, laying a good foundation will all pay off as we’re returning to fitness postpartum. As my friend Lisa Ryan likes to say, “slow is fast”.
I’m going to bold this next part because it’s very important. IT IS NOT NORMAL TO PEE OR LEAK DURING JUMP ACTIVITIES OR ANY ACTIVITY FOR THAT MATTER! IT IS COMMON, BUT THIS MEANS THERE IS DYSFUNCTION OF THE PELVIC FLOOR!!!!! Ok, please read that again. If you do experience leaking with any activity, please go see a pelvic floor physical therapist- it doesn’t have to be that way!!!
Symptoms for injured athletes: Pain, numbness, tingling, etc.
Symptoms for pregnant and postpartum athletes: Coning, leaking, pain, pelvic discomfort, pressure (in stomach/belly, pelvis or “down there”).
These are my recommendations as a physical therapist specializing in CrossFitters and pelvic floor, as well as a CrossFit Level 2 trainer. Interested in doing a consultation with me during these unique chapters of pregnancy & postpartum? I provide in-person sessions as well as virtual. You can book with me here.
Injured Athletes
As a physical therapist, my professional recommendation is if something hurts, don’t do it. Pain is our body’s way of asking us for change.
Shoulder/Arm Injury:
Burpees Over DB: Consider if “dropping” to the floor may feel better compared to lowering down into the bottom position or vice versa.
Hang DB C&J: Technically there’s nothing in the rules about splitting the work evenly among each arm, so you could just do all the reps on one arm. Would I recommend that? No, unless you can’t do any reps with the modifications mentioned below on the painful side or you think it’s going to be the dealbreaker for making it to the next level.
Usually single arm dumbbell movements feel a little better than barbell, because you can take a more comfortable path with the dumbbell.
Scale the weight for the DB hang C&J if it's painful.
I also tend to find with patients that cueing them to engage their abdominals helps decrease shoulder pain with overhead movements. Think of sucking your abs in without holding your breath.
Walking Lunges: Shouldn’t be an issue here I would think.
Leg/Hip/Knee/Ankle Injury:
Burpees Over DB: Consider “kicking” your injured leg out as you go down and & use primarily your non-injured leg.
Step over the DB rather than jump.
Perform stationary burpees (no jump).
As the reps increase, consider switching to a different cardio movement such as a slamball, rower, etc.
Hang DB C&J: Probably not too much of an issue, may not be able to use your legs as much so upper body may fatigue quicker.
Walking Lunges: Good news - rules say lunges don’t have to be alternating legs, so technically if you have a “bad” leg for lunges, you can just keep lunging forward with the leg that feels best.
Consider decreasing the depth of the lunge.
Consider do lunges in place instead - sometimes reverse lunges feel better on those with LE issues.
Consider substituting for squats (depending on your height and stride, I would probably recommend 10-15 squats) or box step ups (to keep with the single leg movement).
Back Injury:
Burpees Over DB: Take a little extra time & keep your core engaged on the burpees - more of a controlled movement vs a flop to the floor.
Don’t “worm” your way back up.
Step over the DB if jumping is painful.
Hang DB C&J: Focus on keeping a neutral spine here.
Think of a KB swing movement for bringing the weight back down & getting it back up to your shoulder.
Keep the core engaged - think of sucking your abs in without holding your breath.
Keep those ribs pulled down as you take the DB overhead.
Walking Lunges: If lunges are painful, consider adjusting your step length. A shorter step length is more likely to keep a neutral spine position & possibly less discomfort.
Can also try to keep abdominals active during lunges for additional support - like you’re sucking your stomach in without holding your breath.
Pregnant Athletes
25.1 is going to be pretty accessible to most pregnant athletes, minus the burpees! For this workout, I’d suggest being open to adjusting burpee variations as necessary - as those reps increase, that’s going to be taxing on the core! Don’t get hung up on the movements, scale it appropriately (mid-WOD if needed) and just move! Remember, this is just one chapter of your pregnancy journey!
Burpees Over DB: Once the bump begins to show, I would not recommend “dropping” to the floor on burpees as some athletes do. If athletes still feel comfortable going all the way done to the floor, on their belly, I would recommend they do so carefully.
Consider going down to just a push up plank position instead of the ground.
Step out & up instead of jumping out/up (that jumping thing again!).
As you get fatigued, you’ll also have a harder time keeping your core engaged - this could lead to additional pressure on your abs in the burpee, whether it’s going all the way down or just the plank position.
Another popular modification is incline push up and air squat. Basically you want to find an appropriate movement that can serve as a cardio stimulus- this could be slamballs, KB swings, bike, rower, etc.
As for the jumping over the DB part, I’d recommend stepping over the DB. It’s probably a little slower, but the last thing you want is to trip & fall when pregnant (that’s a straight to the hospital thing, if you didn’t know).
Consider hopping over the DB with one foot take-off if that makes sense - less fatiguing and easier impact wise.
Avoid holding your breath during the movement - exhale as you’re coming back up.
Hang DB C&J: Love the DB option so we can easily move around those bumps!
Make sure you’re breathing throughout the movement & not holding your breath.
When coming up overhead, keep those ribs pulled down - better spine position & will help keep your abdominals engaged.
Scale the weight as needed here.
Walking Lunges: Lunges could be painful for those with pubic symphysis dysfunction (PSD- pain right around the pubic bone with single leg movements).
For PSD, shorter strides usually feel better and can help alleviate symptoms.
You can also try decreasing the depth of the lunge, or holding onto something for support (ring, rig upright, etc.)
If stride length doesn’t make a difference, performing either step ups or squats would be my recommendation. Based on the athletes height, I would probably recommend 10-15 reps (10 for taller athletes, 15 for shorter athletes) to mimic the time it would take to lunge.
Postpartum Athletes
25.1 is a pretty friendly workout that is likely not going to require a lot of modifications. That being said, the earlier postpartum you are and/or the weaker your core is, burpees may end up being a sticking point. For that movement in particular, I’d have a backup option or two in mind as this is on the longer side. Don’t get hung up on the movements, scale it appropriately (mid-WOD if needed) and just move! Remember, this is just one chapter of your postpartum journey!
Coning: If you see coning occurring - can you change it and make it go away? If yes, great, continue! If it’s hard to control the coning it’s a good idea to modify. Coning isn’t necessarily bad.
Pelvic Floor: If you haven’t been to see a pelvic floor physical therapist yet, I highly recommend it. Even if you have no symptoms, they can be valuable on guiding you on your return to fitness!
Burpees Over DB: I would be cautious jumping over the DB if the athlete is earlier in postpartum (3-4 months) and/or has not been cleared/seen by a pelvic floor physical therapist to jump.
Step out & up instead of jumping out/up.
If you’re jumping to start, I would recommend considering hopping over the DB with one foot take-off if that makes sense - less fatiguing and easier impact wise on your pelvic floor. As you fatigue, you can switch to stepping over the DB.
As you get fatigued, you’ll also have a harder time keeping your core engaged - this could lead to additional pressure on your abs in the burpee, whether it’s going all the way down or just the plank position. especially if newly postpartum.
Another popular modification is incline push up and air squat. Basically you want to find an appropriate movement that can serve as a cardio stimulus- this could be slamballs, KB swings, bike, rower, etc.
Avoid holding your breath during the movement - exhale as you’re coming back up.
Hang DB C&J: Make sure you’re breathing throughout the movement & not holding your breath.
When coming up overhead, keep those ribs pulled down - better spine position & will help keep your abdominals engaged.
Scale the weight as needed here.
Walking Lunges: Lunges could be painful for those with pubic symphysis dysfunction (PSD- pain right around the pubic bone with single leg movements), from a traumatic birth or just overall pelvic instability.
For PSD, shorter strides usually feel better and can help alleviate symptoms.
You can also try decreasing the depth of the lunge, or holding onto something for support (ring, rig upright, etc.)
If stride length doesn’t make a difference, performing either step ups or squats would be my recommendation. Based on the athletes height, I would probably recommend 10-15 reps (10 for taller athletes, 15 for shorter athletes) to mimic the time it would take to lunge.
Coaches:
When considering scaling an athlete, try to keep in the mind what functional movement is being performed. Is it a variation of the squat, hinge, pull, push, etc.? Try to maintain the integrity of the functional movement, while modifying it a level that is appropriate for your individual athletes. If you would like to learn more about coaching pregnant and postpartum athletes, please look into Brianna Battles' coaching courses here. For questions regarding scaling/modifications for the injured athlete, please feel free to contact me and/or work directly with the athlete's healthcare provider.
***All pregnant and postpartum women should have their physician's approval to workout. If you don't, please do not workout. If you have any physician restrictions, to ignore them is placing you and your baby's health in jeopardy.
***I recommend all postpartum women get assessed by a pelvic floor physical therapist. Find one by you here. I also highly recommend finding a Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism coach by you to go over strategy with specific exercises, programming and recommendations. Find one here.
***See coning with any movement or experiencing "leaking", sensation of something "falling out" and/or anything that doesn't feel right? - Can you make it go away with changing the movement in some way? If yes, continue. If not, that indicates a modification is needed. Take more breaks as needed, if it's due to fatigue. Focus on your breathing and movement strategy. If you haven't consulted with a healthcare provider and/or postpartum fitness specialist regarding your symptoms, I highly recommend doing so.
If you have specific questions regarding this post, please comment below or contact via social media or email. I'm happy to help- but remember my advice is not accompanied with a hands-on assessment, which is the best way to make recommendations. If you are interested in meeting with me, please contact me. If you're interested in finding an appropriate healthcare provider/coach, please contact me and I will do my best to help you find one.