Rogue Invitational: Understanding the Programming

The Rogue Invitational has a mysterious way of being the most predictable programming of all the high-level competitions, while also offering new spectacles and dozens of memorable moments each year. When it clearly isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Do what’s working. Do what’s you. 

However, because of that, we have a relatively unique opportunity to delve into Rogue’s programming at greater depths than we can do at most other competitions. Or maybe it’s because the path to qualifying, prestige and exclusivity of this competition are greater than any other. Either way, let’s dive in. 

2019 – 2021: Finding Their Way

The first three years of Rogue are what I like to think of as the testing years. Of course, there was the online variable due to Global Pandemic in 2020 as well, but I think that year was a pivotal, and maybe even a critical part of the Rogue programming team’s development. 

By the way, Caity Henniger, Josh Bridges, and Chris Spealler were the original programming team. And at least Caity and Josh are still primarily responsible.

There were eight total workouts at the inaugural Rogue Invitational in 2019 at Rogue Headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.

The following year was forced online, and while every other season in the Sanctional calendar never happened, Rogue figured it out. I think the unexpected value of that year was the self-belief that they can overcome anything. I believe Bill and Caity have had that mentality, and distilled it in their employees, volunteers, and products for a long time. But in year two of running a competition as big as this one, and to handle that big of a curveball… I just view it as a challenge that became a gift and helped elevate the competition at an even faster rate. 

In the return to live competition, Rogue moved to Texas, a state with more friendly regulations (or lack of regulations) for hosting public events at the time. Just like the year prior online, athletes had seven scoring opportunities that year. 

2022 – 2024: Establishing an Identity

In 2022, the dynamic of the competition changed as it expanded the breadth of its test from seven workouts to 10, and also began with a remote, off-site workout hours away from the venue. 

In addition to the extra workouts, we started seeing even more unique new elements woven into the programming tapestry. In this case with the debut of the log muscle-ups, the return of the monkey bars, heavy back squats in a metcon, and the Texas Oak lifting workout. Also let’s not forget they built a turf hill in the outfield of Dell Diamond that they used as another obstacle in workouts.

The following year, which would end up being the last at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas, the programming settled on nine workouts, and continued to lean into it’s unique elements. The log muscle-ups and heavy back squats came back (this time together), the CYR bell was introduced, an insane amount of weight was deadlift in that arena on Saturday Night, and the “killer kage” made a very welcomed return. 

In 2024, many things stayed the same, but one huge thing changed, as Rogue brought the biggest ever competition to European soil. In large part thanks to Aberdeen local, CrossFit Aberdeen owner, and long time practitioner of the CrossFit methodology in about every conceivable way, Rob Lawson, the Rogue Invitational made its way to Scotland. 

Nine workouts once again, log muscle-ups once again, heavy back squats once again; throw in the power stair steps during the Duel IV, the horizontal peg board, and a wild amount of sandbags in the opening workout, and we have a very familiar competition in a new home.

Seeing the consistency across the last three Rogue Invitationals, I have identified 12 key factors which will likely factor in to an athlete’s success, or lack thereof, at the Rogue Invitational in its seventh edition from October 31 – November 2.

Programming Patterns from 2022-2024

During the analysis of the programming from those three years, 16 patterns or movements were noticed. Four that didn’t quite show consistency relative to the others were snatching, the horizontal peg board, the “killer kage”, and deadlifting. However, each of those four did play a significant factor when they showed up. 

The remaining 12 patterns or movement played a critical role at least three times across those three years of programming: 

• Running
  • 2024: Quick Sand 
  • 2023: Texas Heavy
  • 2022: Texas Trail
• Handstand push-up variations
  • 2024: Braveheart – wall walk complex including strict wall facing handstand push-ups
  • 2023: 10th inning – 80 handstand push ups 
  • 2022: Snatch and Press – parallette handstand push-ups (4 and 2 inch deficits)
• Back Squatting
  • 2024: Braveheart – 20 at 375/260 lbs
  • 2023: Seat at the Bar – 15 at 375/260 lbs
  • 2022: Back Attack – 15 at 405/275 lbs
• Log Muscle-Ups
  • 2024: Hunting Haggis, 30/20
  • 2023: Seat at the Bar, 45/30
  • 2022: Ski bar, 40 (11 men and 0 women finished this workout)
• The CYR or Fatbell
  • 2024: Devil’s Tail – CYR bell devil’s press
  • 2024: Tight Rope – CYR bell Overhead lunges
  • 2023: Circus – CYR bell shoulder-to-overhead
  • 2023: Hulk Hands – fat bell ground-to-overhead
• Fast Twitch/Muscle Fiber
  • 2024: The Duel IV – up-and-overs, sled push, power stairs
  • 2023: The Duel III – log over/unders, sprint, load sandbags to teeter
  • 2022: The Duel II – legless rope climb, light overhead squats, sandbag carry
• Shoulder Stamina
  • 2024: Tight Rope – heavy double unders, CYR overhead lunges, handstand walking
  • 2023: 10th inning – ring muscle -ps, handstand pushups, light-weight snatching
  • 2022: Snatch and Press – alternating dumbbell snatches, parallette deficit handstand pushups
• Lunging
  • 2024: Tight Rope – CYR bell overhead lunges
  • 2023: Hulk Hands – Front Rack Lunges
  • 2022: The Turtle – Axle Bar Lunges
• Echo Bike
  • 2024: North Sea Tiger
  • 2023: Hulk Hands
  • 2022: DT with a Spin
• Ring Muscle-ups
  • 2024: North Sea Tiger – 16 reps
  • 2023: 10th Inning – 40 reps
  • 2022: The Goblet – 49 reps
• Sandbags
  • 2024: Quick Sand (drag/carry), The Excavator (cleans)
  • 2023: Texas Heavy (pull/drag), Duel III (clean into teeter)
  • 2022: Texas Trail (clean over hay bail), The Turtle (turtle bag pull), Duel II (carry)
• Clean (or clean and jerk) variations
  • 2024: The Excavator – 30 sandbag cleans (15 at 150/125 lbs, 10 at 200/150 lbs, 5 at 250/175 lbs)
  • 2023: The Clean Up – 15 power cleans, 10 squat cleans, 5 clean and jerks (225/155 lbs)
  • 2022: Heavy Grace – 30 clean and jerks (225/165 lbs)
  • 2022: DT with a Spin – 45 hand power cleans, 30 push jerks (155/105 lbs)

From Programming to Athlete Analysis

Knowing this much about the patterns of one competitions programming is helpful in terms of identifying key characteristics to look for in an athlete’s competition history. The volume with which most of the athletes in the field have competed in the last three seasons gives us a relatively meaningful and large sample set to search through thanks to the work of Barclay Dale with Apollo Perform Analytics. 

We will be using these patterns to narrow in on the most likely results in some extremely competitive fields this year prior to seeing the programming. 

Once the programming is known, we can then first evaluate how many of these movements or workout stimuli show up and see if any omissions or inclusions influence expectations.