25.3 CrossFit Open Nutrition Strategies
It’s here! The final week of the 2025 CrossFit Open.
For this workout, we predict there will once again be three categories of athlete:
You may be scaling this workout or even pushing to go RX, and the hope is to just chip away and get as far as possible in the 20 minutes. You do not expect to finish - there may be something holding you back such as the overall compiled load of the barbells, or maybe wall walks are a challenge for you.
You are doing this workout scaled or RX, but you plan to finish within the time cap.
You are an elite level athlete working very quickly through this workout, expecting to finish in the 10:00-14:00 range.
This workout has the longest time cap of all 3 open workouts- which means, for the majority of us, it will be the longest workout of the Open. Which means, pacing will be extremely important if you are looking to finish under the time cap.
The workout starts with wall walks. We recommend practicing hand placements and keeping them consistent when walking up the wall and coming back down from the wall. Some people do marks on the floor that guide them on where to place their hand each time so they take the same “steps” going up and down the wall. There are 25 wall walks, so every extra “step” you take is not just seconds, but more time under tension on your shoulders.
With a longer row to start- we recommend a pace that is uncomfortable, but you should not be red lining in the first 50 calories.
With the barbell movements, strategic breaks are a great idea. That may mean every 5 reps on the deadlifts and even considering singles on the cleans and snatches. Having a countdown in your head for when you will pick the bar back up is key to not standing around.
The workout ends on the rower. This is where you hurt. Lean into the first 20-30 calories, then close your eyes and give it everything you have.
Just like the last two weeks, these simply are our recommendations. None of this is law, simply suggestions from some performance nutrition coaching experts! As always - consult your coach if you have any specific questions on what will work best for YOU as an individual.
Day before workout test:
The day before this workout, we may want a refeed, or we may need to push carbs to our training day numbers—even if you’re resting the day before. Make sure your dinner includes a solid amount of carbs (rice, potato, oats, quinoa, etc.) and a lean protein. Also, be sure to hydrate properly along with your carb intake!
Day of workout:
On the day of, we are recommending a slight increase (15-25% carb increase), but by way of your normal pre/intra workout carbs. No matter when you’re hitting the workout, be sure to give yourself ample time to digest your meal. If you know your body handles it well, eating 30-45g of simple carbs during the warm-up (think gummy worms, Gatorade, etc.), is a great idea to give you some quick energy as you take on 25.3.
If you plan on hitting the workout in the morning:
We assume you will only have one meal before the workout: Eating your meal 1.5-2 hours before hitting the workout is ideal to help with digestion!
Percentage of your macros to eat in Meal 1:
20% protein, 25-35% carbs, 15% fat
Ex: if your total macros are 150 protein, 300 carbs, 70 fat, this meal would have 30g protein, 75-105g of carbs, and 10g of fat.
If you plan on hitting the workout in the afternoon:
This should allow you to get in at least 2 meals before hitting the workout.
Percentage of your macros to eat in Meal 1:
20% protein, 15% carbs, 20% fat
Ex: if your total macros are 150 protein/ 300 carbs/ 70 fat, this meal would have 30g protein, 45g of carbs, and 14g of fat
Percentage of your macros to eat in Meal 2:
20% protein, 25-35% carbs, 15% fat
Ex: if your total macros are 150 protein/ 300 carbs/ 70 fat, this meal would have 30g protein, 75-105g carbs, and 10g of fat
If you plan on hitting the workout in the evening (Friday Night Lights):
This should allow you to get in at least 3 meals before hitting the workout
Percentage of your macros to eat in Meal 1:
25% protein, 15% carbs, 25% fat
Ex: if your total macros are 150 protein/ 300 carbs/ 70 fat, this meal would have 37g protein, 45g of carbs, and 17g of fat
Percentage of your macros to eat in Meal 2:
25% protein, 30% carbs, 20% fat
Ex: if your total macros are 150 protein/ 300 carbs/ 70 fat, this meal would have 37g protein, 90g carbs, and 14g of fat
Percentage of your macros to eat in Meal 3:
20% protein, 25-35% carbs, 15% fat
Ex: if your total macros are 150 protein/ 300 carbs/ 70 fat, this meal would have 30g protein, 75-105g carbs, and 10g of fat
If you plan to redo:
Be sure to give yourself ample time to recover so you can feel your best hitting this workout a second time. Chat with your coach to create the best strategy for nutrition on your re-do day, but likely you will do the same as above!
GOODLUCK to EVERYONE completing 25.3 and remember: leave it all out there and finish this years Open with a BANG!