Balanced Mitch 2024 Open

In the Balanced Mitch workout, competitors have two minutes to complete a maximum number of unbroken bench press reps at a designated weight (185 pounds for men, 95 pounds for women), followed by a maximum number of strict unbroken pull-ups. The athlete’s overall score for the competition is the lowest of the two rep counts.

Registration

Registration for the Balanced Mitch 2024 Open is $5 per competitor in the Living Donor and Transplant Recipient categories and $50 per competitor in the General category. The registration deadline is May 29, 2024, and the competition will take place May 30 through June 5, 2024.

Workout Rules

To be considered for the podium and cash prizes, all competitors in the Balanced Mitch Workout 2024 Open must adhere to the following rules:

  • The clock starts on the bench press lift-off and the pull-ups must begin at the 2:00 minute mark.
  • For the unbroken bench press reps:
    • Competitors must complete unbroken reps at the designated weight (185 pounds for men, 95 pounds for women).
    • All unbroken bench repetitions must demonstrate a full range of motion in which the barbell must touch the athlete’s chest and a full extension and lockout at the elbow must occur at the top of the movement.
    • An athlete may not use a bounce from the barbell off of the chest.
    • The athlete’s glutes must touch the bench for the entirety of the exercise sequence.
    • Athletes may have a spotter present while performing the bench press segment of the workout.
      • The spotter cannot assist with a lift-off and the spotter’s hands must remain clear from the barbell while the competitor is performing the movement.
      • The only assistance that the spotter can provide is lifting the bar if an athlete fails on their final repetition.
    • There is a one-rep minimum requirement for bench press reps completed.
    • Issues with form in any completed rep will disqualify the athlete’s workout.
  • For the unbroken strict pull-ups:
    • Strict pull-ups only, no kipping or butterfly pull-ups.
    • Palms must face outward, chin must clear the bar at the top of each pull-up, and arms must be fully extended at the bottom of each pull-up.
    • Lifting the knees or swinging the hips or shoulders to any degree is not allowed.
    • Banded pull-ups are acceptable with a weight assistance of no more than 70 pounds, but your finish time will be placed after other competitors who performed the move unassisted.
  • The athlete’s score for the competition is the lowest of the two rep counts. In the event of a tie, the highest combined score receives the higher rank.
  • Athletes are responsible for self-timing their workout, either with an app (i.e. WOD Tracker, SmartWOD Timer, WETime) or by having a gym clock or iPad with a timer clearly in view throughout the workout. Links to timing apps can be found on our website.
  • Donor Games judges recommend having an individual count reps for you during your workout.

Competition Rules

Registered athletes agree to and will comply with the following rules related to the Donor Games Open competition format.

  1. Eligibility
    1. All athletes must be 18 years or older as of the close of registration for the competition.
    2. All athletes must agree to the Donor Games Consent Agreement and adhere to the Workout Rules and Competition Rules herein.
    3. Athletes must submit their full workout video at any time during the competition window: from May 30 through June 5, 2024 at 11:59 EST.
    4. Athletes may submit more than one workout video to improve their standings on the leaderboard.
      1. Competitors may submit no more than ONE (1) video within any 24-hour period.
      2. Should an additional workout video be disqualified; it does not impact the rank/eligibility of a previously approved workout video.
    5. Athletes must be willing to accept prize winnings via ACH. Failure to provide ACH payment information within 1 week of the official prize-winning notification will result in forfeiture of the cash prize. All prize winnings will be dispersed within 2 weeks of the official prize-winning notification from the Donor Games.
    6. General athletes who compete a modified workout are not eligible for cash prizes.
  2. Judging
    1. Failure to perform the exercises according to the guidelines will result in disqualification.
    2. Judges’ decisions are final.
    3. Judges may reject an athlete’s workout video due to: (a) improper form; (b) failure to complete the workout; (c) copyright infringements; or (d) any other issues that arise in review of the workout.
      1. If a workout video is rejected, the competitor is allowed to submit a new competition workout video at any time during the competition window.
      2. Should the workout be disqualified on the last day of competition, athletes may be given an extension beyond the competition deadline at the discretion of the judges.
      3. If no new video is submitted before the deadline, the competitor is disqualified.

Cash Prizes

Category1st Place2nd Place3rd Place4th Place5th PlaceEntered
Donor: Men$2,000$1,600$1,200$800$40011
Donor: Women$2,000$1,600$1,200$800$40012
Recipient: Men$2,000$1,600$1,200$800$4003
Recipient: Women$2,000$1,600$1,200$800$4002
General: Men$1,000$800$600$400$2005
General: Women$1,000$800$600$400$2002
TOTAL$10,000$8,000$6,000$4,000$2,00035

Founding Sponsors

  • National Kidney Foundation
  • National Kidney Registry
  • National Kidney Donation Organization