Welcome to Semifinals
Congrats to all our Dark Place Athletes who made it to semifinals. You possess fitness that is truly elite. Enjoy this week’s tests and remember how much of a gift it is to be able to move fast and lift heavy like no one else on earth.
This is a living document that will be updated as new information comes our way, so check back as often as you’d like for the latest. Past this paragraph, things will be organized from newest to oldest.
See you on the leaderboard,
Chris
…
4.28.25 1:21PM
Prep
Please carefully read through the judging requirements, video process, and other key items to ensure your scores are captured properly without issue
https://games.crossfit.com/article/how-prepare-2025-crossfit-affiliate-semifinals#workouts
Timeline to Compete
Individual In-Affiliate Semifinals Begin: May 1 at 12 p.m. PT
Score Submission Deadline: May 4 at 5 p.m. PT
These tests are tough! Mentally, prepare for a really challenging weekend and one that’s a bit unique for online where you may not be capable of retesting due to accumulated fatigue - said another way, approach each test with a one-and-done mindset and execute against your plan like a live comp
Below is a generally recommended schedule. Of course, there are tough judging requirements and personal lives to consider plus your individual strengths, weaknesses, and goals for the week, etc. Use this as a guide but adjust as needed to perform your best and walk away proud when the dust has settled.
Thursday
12:00PM PT
#3
For Time:
30 Snatches
Time cap: 10 minutes
Athletes who can move this load easily will want to capture a top score here. Know your capabilities, step on the gas from rep 1 and balance on the razor’s edge of just enough rest needed to hit the next rep. Any missed reps means an automatic repeat Sunday as every second saved is crucial on the leaderboard
Athletes who can move this load but are at risk of finishing can largely follow the same advice as above, sticking to the pace you know you’re capable of throughout. This will be a mental grind more than a physical one so stick to your work/rest plan and stay aggressive on each rep
Athletes who are challenged with this load should consider the bigger picture. If the testing load is more than 10#-15# above your latest heavy single, consider saving your energy for the other 4 events. If the load is near your heavy single, use the power of your affiliate community and see what you’re capable of during game time. Beautiful things can happen when urgency and community collide during competition.
6:00 PM PT
#1
AMRAP 15
3 Ring Muscle-Ups
3 Back Squat 275/185
30ft Handstand Walk (2x15ft)
*Add 3 reps to RMU and Squat each round
Dark Place Athletes train these movements regularly and we would expect them to perform well here
Regardless of capability, this is a pacer, working just under our threshold - not of our breathing capacity - but our gymnastics and midline capacity which will be challenged throughout
We recommend breaks on all 3 movements after the first few rounds to reduce time under tension and maintain our midlines for the long 15 minute duration
Athletes proficient in one area (RMU/BS/HSW) or the other should still break early and often on their strength areas but spend a little less time between sets. On the movements they find more challenging, spend a little more time between sets recovering. If squats specifically are heavy, move the weight for as many reps as you can while staying fast and springy out of the hole. Avoiding grindy reps until the very end will be key to maintaining smooth pacing throughout.
If we paced this correctly, we’ll have something to push with in the final 2 minutes. This is the time when we can press our limits, finishing out a final set of reps on a movement to get to the next, etc.
Friday
3PM PT
#4
2-2-2-2-2 AMRAP
2 Minutes of Work
1 Minute of Rest
10 Shuttle Runs (2x25ft = 1)
10 Clean & Jerks 135/85
AMRAP Lateral Burpees Over Bar
This test is a classic dark place style workout. Prepare your warmup accordingly with multiple heart rate raising events and a 3-5min cool down before tackling this challenge
There is not alot to game here - Athletes must move fast, recover hard between intervals, and repeat to succeeed
Athletes with a balanced approach to all three movements simply need to spin up to 90% threshold pace and stay there for the duration. In the final interval, empty the tank
Unbroken C&Js is not a must for all athlete types - know yourself and your capabilities and stay within those limits for the first four rounds. Tap-and-go for the bulk then a few singles before the burpees may be a route we see some take.
Sample pacing / round:
16-17 Burpees (:40 Run + :05 + :40 CJ + :02 + :02/Burpee)
21-22 Burpees (:35 Run + :05 + :35 CJ + :02 + :02/Burpee)
26-27 Burpees (:30 Run + :05 + :30 CJ + :02 + :02/Burpee)
Saturday
12PM PT
#2
For Time:
20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2
Dumbbell Overhead Walking Lunge 70/50
GHD Sit-Ups
Time Cap: 20 Minutes
All Athletes will need a pacing schedule regardless of capability as this test will compound fatigue across similar muscle groups as it progresses
Athletes proficient and confident in their overhead should take make moves in this particular test, using the GHD sit-ups as their recovery/pacing movement
Athletes who believe their overhead may breakdown should pace this movement early and rest the shoulders early to avoid a burnout situation mid-way into the test
Sunday
10AM PT
#5
AMRAP 30
1000m Row
30 Toes to Bar
6 Rope Climb
This test is right up our alley, pointing toward our long EMOM 40 pieces with machines and skills
Athletes will balanced capability across all 3 movements simply need to work at threshold pace with a goal of stopping/breaking as little as possible. Small breaks on the gymnastics are good, big long rests are not.
Strong rowers should push the pace but not by more than +5% as rowing for meters does not put out like calories, so let’s save some of that energy for the other movements unless we’re on the rower for the final minute/seconds
All rowers should consider a lower damper to save the grip
Athletes at this stage should be able to handle the T2B in 2-3 sets with minimal breaks. On the rope climb, keep a hand on the rope to keep your body on the movement with limited rest. Slow and steady reps will win out against 2-3 fast followed by big rest intervals
Sample pacing / round:
5 Rounds = 6 Minutes Per
(1:40/500m Row + 16/14 T2B + 14sec/RC + transitions)
4 Rounds = 7.5 Minutes Per
(1:50/500m Row + 12/10/8 T2B + 22sec/RC + transitions)
Sunday PM
Retests
Athletes who feel they left something in the tank on a particular workout and have some gas left in their tank after a tough weekend of testing should absolutely re-test
Re-testing is a great tool to update plans and try to improve as an athlete
If you are Games bound or on the bubble (or aspire to be one day), you may need to retest regardless of fatigue level
For most athletes, retesting a wheelhouse likely provides the best return on effort if you missed a rep or feel you had more to give.
For others, it might be a damage-control test you feel you could improve on slightly as every rep counts
Middle-of-the-road tests should be avoided, leave it where it is
Need help?
If you need a little more hands-on coaching or assistance, give us a shout at enter@thedarkplace.co and we’ll be happy to jump in.