At 169 and 189 pounds, Josh Bridges and Scott Panchik hardly qualify as heavyweights in the world of weightlifting -- or any sport, really -- but that doesn’t mean Dave Castro and the infamous minds behind the Open workouts won’t test these athletes with, well, heavy weight. 

 

Many in the CrossFit community, in fact, are begging for it.

 

On CrossFit forums and social media sites athletes and fans are predicting chippers and ladders featuring everything from heavy deadlifts to heavy cleans to heavy thrusters. Well, not everyone: AtomicPete predicted on Reddit that 15.4 will feature hugs for time.

 

Let’s dissect: While hugs are probably not in the cards, many of the bar movements are fair game. Despite testing the one-rep max clean and jerk in week one, a series of heavy cleans is in the realm of possibility as is a ladder of increasingly heavy deadlifts. 

 

Historically, week four has featured bodyweight movements, including muscle-ups, wall balls, double unders and toes-to-bar, all of which have been featured this year. In 2011, week four also featured overhead squats while 2013 featured heavy cleans, so it’s a fairly safe bet to expect this week’s WOD to feature some combination of barbell movement and untapped body movement (read: burpees).Since 2011, thrusters have always come the final week of the Open. By this point, it’s tradition. 

 

Even Castro wouldn’t mess with tradition...

 

Last year in week four, Castro introduced the 60-calorie row into the workout, much to the dismay of garage gyms, independent athletes and service members serving in Afghanistan who didn’t have access to the equipment. Castro has already caused a firestorm this year by including muscle-ups at the beginning of week three’s AMRAP, so maybe he’ll ease up in week four. Right.

 

Many predict he’ll introduce a new movement to the Open, either pistols or handstand push-ups. Neither require special equipment, but both could eliminate more athletes from the Rx pool.Whatever the movements, 15.4 is bound to be an exciting matchup. Just four points separated Bridges and Panchik at the 2014 Games, with Bridges finishing just off the podium in fourth and Panchik in fifth.

 

Throughout the Games, Bridges and Panchik were neck and neck, with 14 top-10 finishes between them and neither finishing outside the top-30 in any event. The two are also fairly even when it comes to strength vs. body movements. At the Games, Bridges fell behind in the overhead squat event, but excelled in the 21-15-9 complex, which featured deadlifts, cleans and snatches. Panchik did well in both events and took eighth in Double Grace, but he fell behind in the sprint workouts giving Bridges the edge and claim of the fourth place slot.

 

One thing is for sure: Thursday’s announcement and matchup at CrossFit X-Factor in Portland, Ore., will be exciting.

 

Of course, none of this analysis means anything if Castro decides to throw in an unexpected movement these athletes aren’t expecting -- say, hugs?

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